tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76863680935183408792024-02-21T01:20:08.621-05:00Good News Messengers<center>People are not soulless dirt, nor recycled energy, but beings of dignity & destiny.<br>
~ Be a Good News Messenger ~</center>Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.comBlogger191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-91114107513723645212016-04-09T17:46:00.001-04:002016-04-09T17:49:15.062-04:00Enjoying Life on the Way to Heaven!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b> <span style="color: #0b5394;"> Enjoying Life on the Way to Heaven!</span></b></h2>
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<b>#Heaven #Christian Life #Hope #Joyous living</b></div>
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What's the Christian life to be according to the Bible? Do Christians live according to the Bible, or fall far short of it? Admittedly, some persons claimed to be Christian, don't give a favorable impression. But, when we don't know what the Bible teaches, then we don't know all that Christian life should be. We can have misconceptions about ideal Christian living. Is it joyous or serious, loving or condemning, wise or foolish, frivolous or responsible, or what? Can we also confuse personality with spiritually? Let me try to picture what this enjoying life on the way to Heaven is like.</div>
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<b>Jesus compares God's people with honest humble needy sheep trusting God their great shepherd (John 10:1-10 NLT). </b>Sheep are kept in a sheepfold or enclosure to protect them from thieves, bad weather, and wild animals. The shepherd leads his sheep in and out to pasture to provide and protect them. They know his voice, trust his leading, and can only enter the sheepfold through him standing as the gate. Jesus warns that thief's come to steal, kill, and destroy the sheep. <span style="color: #3d85c6;"> <b>But He, the Lord Jesus, came to meet our life needs and lead us who trust Him to a rich and satisfying life. See also John 14:6, Luke 19:10, Psalm 23. (Christians are not of a goat nature that tries to butt down anything pertaining to God.)</b></span></div>
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<b>Jesus pictures our relationship with God as a grapevine giving life and fruit to its branches</b> (John 15:1-17). Jesus is the life giving vine and his Father God is the vinedresser. Fruitless branches are cut away and burned--persons claiming to be believers that don't bear fruit aren't true believers as they never received the gospel message that purified them and without Christ can do nothing spiritual. But the Father prunes the true branches to bear fruit--a father who doesn't correct his children for their good doesn't really love them (Heb.12: 5-6). So, true believers produce fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. Answered prayer, joy, and love are the particular fruits mentioned here.. </div>
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<b>The godly Christian focuses on the fruit of the Spirit, not the works of the flesh. </b>"The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things" (Gal. 5:22-23). The desires of our sinful nature are listed as: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these--<u><i>anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God </i></u>. . . <span style="color: #0b5394;">You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters, But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love." (Gal. 5:19-21, 13). </span><br />
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<b>Unlike programmed machines or instinctual animals, persons who freely seek God find Him. </b>Critics who claim we have no free will, defeat their own arguments by asking us to believe them. The Bible repeatedly promises true seekers of God, will be real finders (Deut. 29:14; Jer. 29:13; 2 Chron. 6:37: Matt. 7:7; Acts 17:26-28, 30-31). Behavior scientists tests show we can program out minds to believe and behave in good ways if we daily meditate and repeat good concepts. <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Now isn't this the very thing the Bible tells us to do so many times and ways? </span></b><br />
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<b>Yes! Consider these Scriptures. </b>"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Tim. 3:16). I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Repeat and meditate on verses in Psalm 119.asking and trusting God to make it your mindset and lifestyle.<br />
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<b>But wouldn't I have to give up so many things I love, to live the Christ life? </b>Honestly, yes! You will need to give us things supremely important from this limited temporarily world's perspective.. But the loss is nothing to compare with the gain from God's all knowing eternal perspective. Jesus answered the question this way--"anyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, or property for my sake will be paid a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then" (Matt.19:29-30).. <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your hearts desires." (Ps. 37:4). That's because our desires then become His desires.</span></b><br />
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<b>Now think with me about this:</b> Scientists tell us this material, space time universe came into being. If that's true, then what brought it into being would have to exist before the universe of matter, space, and time. It would have to be eternal, self-existing, and outside matter, space, and time. Further, we know life only comes from life. So, it's nonsense to claim undesigned mindless molecules arranged themselves into complex life forms in any amount of time. That would be like someone eternally throwing red, white, blue confetti from an airplane expecting it to form the American flag. Further, if we say murder and destruction is evil, that requires a moral standard which in turn requires a Moral Lawgiver who can know and enforce the moral law. In sum, all this requires an eternal, self-existent, all powerful, moral, life-giving Mind like what the Bible describes as God who acts in human history.<br />
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<b>Now this is the really hard thing. </b>We're selfish, self-willed. We naturally want our way, and resent anyone telling us what to do, even when we know they're right and want the best for us. And according to the Bible, God will never force us to trust in Him. His love requires we make a free loving response. As the Bible says, God works all things (both good & bad) for good to those who know and love Him (Rom. 8:28). But true relationship begins and continues with admitting our sin (wrong doing) and trusting Jesus dying on the cross to pay our sin debt. <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">That's God's way.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Now you are invited to admit your need of relationship with the one true God and trust Him now to same you from sin and Hell. If you don't want the one who died to save you, God will let you have your way. The alternative is self-inflicted torment forever alone in the darkness of Hell. Say, yes Jesus I trust YOU now as my Savior, Lord, and Guide. Thank you, Lord.</span></b><br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-51757841438940830552016-03-01T19:34:00.001-05:002016-03-01T19:34:58.778-05:00Good News Messengers: God's A Cruel Tyrant and Killjoy!<a href="http://goodnewsmessengers.blogspot.com/2011/03/gods-cruel-tyrant-and-killjoy.html?spref=bl">Good News Messengers: God's A Cruel Tyrant and Killjoy!</a>: God‘s A Cruel Tyrant And Killjoy! . People have their own idea of God and I don’t know who’s right. But I don’t like the Bible’s God....Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-64523653500363672772016-02-29T15:30:00.000-05:002016-02-29T15:30:38.613-05:00Joyful People Focus on Wise Solutions to Real Problems<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"> Joyful People Focus on Wise Solutions to Real Problems</span></h2>
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Consider this Bible passage. Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 NLT</div>
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<b>Honest people neither deny nor ignore their problems but seek wise solutions.</b> Yes, we have no control over many circumstances of life. But dwelling on the problems and not doing anything constructive about them only makes things worse. Worry not only doesn't solve anything, but depending on the problem can make us feel angry, depressed, guilty, condemned, shameful, anxious, hostile, jealous, destructive, paranoid, suicidal. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Our greatest problem is relationship with our Maker and Judge for all eternity.</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Focusing on positive solutions gives hope, encouragement, meaning, energy, peace, and avoids all the negative things just mentioned. God's Spirit in us can help us be winners, victors, accomplishers in Him. Are you one of God's true people? God's people have promises persons outside of faith in Christ Jesus don't have. God must be trusted as knowing what's best and having our best interests at heart.</span></b><br />
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<b>God's true people have assurance of eternal solutions and the ideal world--Heaven does exist. Consider Philippians 4:4-7 above, with all it's assurances.</b> 1. We're told to always rejoice. We have a free will to either rejoice or not rejoice. Isn't rejoicing much better than any other choice? 2. Remember the Lord is coming. That means true justice will be satisfied and our every thought, word, deed will be good or evil--He knows and will justly reward. 3. Believing prayer in God's will gets answers. God is Creator, Lifegiver, Judge and can know and answer any prayer in any language. 4. Telling God our needs. and believing it will be answered in His time and way shows true faith. <span style="color: blue;"><b>When doing the above we experience God's peace, but we still may not understand our circumstances, ourselves, or what God is doing. But it's learning to live by faith.</b></span><br />
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People become God's true people experiencing His benefits only when they obey God's requirement to trust in His Son. The Lord Jesus Christ died in our place taking the just punishment of our wrong doings/sins. God is perfect and demands we be perfect. But we cannot be perfect, which is why Christ died to take our punishment and our sins. Our best efforts won't make us perfect and all our sins count against us. God knew this and made His plan of salvation to save us.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Friends, the bottom line is this: Say and mean, Lord God Almighty, I am a sinful person who can't be perfect. That's why Jesus, who is perfect, took my punishment by his death for me on the Cross. Lord, I give myself to You trusting in your forgiveness to make me a born again believer in Jesus now and forever. Thank you my Lord and Savior. I will live under your guidance and will depend everyday for your forgiveness, guidance, and glory. Read God's Word, pray in faith, and share your new faith with friends. </b></span><br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-85279740255735838502016-01-23T17:58:00.001-05:002016-02-29T15:29:30.619-05:00Broad Road, Narrow Road--Which Do You Travel?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"> Broad Road, Narrow Road--Which Do You Travel? </span></h2>
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"According to a recent Barna Research report, nearly two out of three adults contend that the choice of one religious faith over another is irrelevant because all religions teach the same lessons about life. They also believe that it doesn't matter which god you pray to because every deity is ultimately the same deity veiled in a different name." <i>Christ Among Other gods</i> by Erwin W. Lutzer</div>
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<b>If that's true, then does it even matter what anyone believes, or how anyone behaves? </b><span style="color: blue;"><b>No!! Not at all. </b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>Only gross ignorance, or fear of confrontation, or rebuke would cause persons to say or think that way. Any honest person studying world religions knows radical contradictions exist about God, man, life, and the afterlife.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Jesus said, "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate.The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide, for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Matthew 7:12-14</span>.<b> In this article, please let me explain the differences between the Christian biblical worldview </b><b>and non Christian viewpoints.</b><br />
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<b>About God</b>. People have varying conceptions of god. Atheists say, I see no God, so he doesn't exist. But if God is a Personal Spirit present everywhere we wouldn't see him. Don't we believe in many things we don't see directly, but experience their effects? People's claims to talk with God or an angle mean nothing--Mohammad, Joseph Smith Jr. and crazy men have claimed that. But evidence of God requires acts known impossible for man or nature to accomplish. <span style="color: blue;">If Jesus walked on water, raised cold stiff corpses, predicted future detailed events impossible to guess, then we should rightfully say these are acts of God. His astonished skeptical Jewish disciples wrote that He did hundreds such things--and endured ridicule, persecution, and torturous deaths in evidence of its truth. Read my articles for further details and confirmation. </span><br />
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The Christian biblical God is a self-existent Creator who sustains the universe. He made us, loves us, wants an intimate and eternal relationship with us. He in unlimited in his power, knowledge, truth, justice and love. He has made himself known in our world in history and in human lives. He is a non contradictory Trinity of three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in one essence. See Gen. 1:2, Psalm 2:7-12; 110:1; Matt. 28::19 and my article on the mystery of God.<span style="color: blue;"> Our peanut minds shouldn't assume we can know everything about the infinite God, but be should be open to his revelation.</span><br />
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<b>About Persons. </b>We see all kinds of people's in the world of different colors, sizes, shapes, races, appearances, nationalities. They have different skills, intelligence levels, kinds of employment, interests, philosophies. But more important we are all part of a common human family. Our differences are not crucial, but being human beings with the same needs, desires, goals, hopes, and common ancestry So we should all be treated with respect and concern. <span style="color: blue;">In all honestly, we think of our self and our well-being above other persons--we're naturally self-centered. The<i> way </i></span><i style="color: blue;">we act</i><span style="color: blue;"> toward people, however is generally the <i>way they react </i>to us. But the Bible teaches we make a better world to show concern and help them no matter their behavior. Put downs destroy relationships and promote war. Look for the positive features in others. But even this requires a new nature and way of thinking, an enabling power greater than us..</span><br />
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<b>About Life. </b>From birth to death, life's full of challenges--growing pains, learning skills, how to present ourselves, work, marriage, health, family, friends. Making mistakes and change is part of learning and growing.<br />
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The Christian faith offers a greater fullness of life. Jesus said, "The thief's purpose (speaking of the devil) is to steal and kill and destroy (Gen. 3; John. 8:44). My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."(John 10:10). Is Jesus saying we can have everything we want? No!! God, is like wiser loving parents who forbids some things we don't understand, but for our good. The policeman's son ignored his father's warning not to play with his pistol and shot himself.<br />
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God, our Maker knows the right time, way, and our best interests. The principle is: "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you your heart's desires" (Psalm 37:4).<span style="color: blue;"> When we delight in Him, our desires become like His good desires for us--we win every time and it saves us and others lots of unnecessary pains and sorrows. But we must trust in Him and His better way.</span><br />
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<b>About Right and Wrong. </b>If we people are not created by God in his image, then we are evolving animals and soulless dirt that perishes. We have no great dignity and destiny. So we're responsible only to our own opinions and preference. Then there's no great wrong in lying, deceiving, abusing people, even abortion, robbery, rape, murder when they get in our way. It's just survival of the fittest in our animal world and since only the strong temporarily survive. We feel superior and prideful.<br />
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But created in God's image, people are valued by God, responsible to him to care about each other, and will be judged, rewarded for good,or punished for bad behavior. We have God's law, and an ethical conscience that we will be judged. God's higher authority and true justice is the only basis for ethics. It trumps limited conflicting human opinions that lead to frustration, confusion, and warfare.<br />
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<b>God and Suffering. </b>My loved one died. A natural disaster destroyed my home. A man raped and murdered my beautiful young daughter.The Bible teaches an eternal torturous hell. So how can there be a good and loving God to allow such things?<br />
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<u>Can we be logical and honest?</u> Should we expect God to suspend His laws of nature every time a natural disaster threatens, or just in our case? Should God program our every thought and act making us robots, or is He wise and glorious to give us dignity, free will, and the possibility of loving and eternal relationship with Him? Hell is our choice, self-inflicted, and in accord our earthly behavior . If there should be no punishment for human abuse, then aren't we wrong to have courts and jails? Shouldn't we let human abusers just do their thing? With no Hell and no punishment, how could there be a Heaven, or any kind of secure happy world? <span style="color: blue;">We hate these adversities of life, but stupid emotional arguments don't solve anything. An infinitely wise God knows how things have to be. We can see His love and goodness when we think honestly about it and not play God. </span><br />
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<b>About Life's Purpose. </b>If there no personal God who created us in His image, cares about us and acts in our world to help us, then we are no more than perishing animals and evolving dirt. Life is short, may end at any time, so practical sense seems to be to get all I can for myself while I can. Animal ethics and limited conflicting personal preferences is all we have--then lights out.<br />
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Being born into God's kingdom its quite different. Jesus our Savior assures us His divine presence would be with us always with all power (Matthew 2:19) and He has sent the Holy Spirit to comfort, guide and give us the enabling power and incentive to live holy lives pleasing to God (John 16: Acts 2). When we trust Christ as paying for our sin, we receive His divine life in us with a new outlook and desire to do His will. It's like being born anew or becoming a new creation (John 3:3: 2 Cor. 5:17-28). We progress in doing God's will as He works within us (Phil. 2:13).<br />
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<b>About Life After Death. </b>Non Christians have no real assurance of life after death. Reincarnations claim there is the universal spirit that takes many different temporary material forms until we're absorbed. But human defects, revived life in the spring, world injustices, and dreams don't prove we have multiple lives after death. The only real evidence of it is the resurrection of a stiff lifeless corpse returning to life. Jesus arose from the dead as he said he would. 500 people saw the resurrected Lord (1 Cor. 15). It's changed hearts and lives to make a better world ever since.<br />
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<b>Which Road Will You Travel? </b><b><span style="color: #38761d;">The broad road is popular but leads to a dark hopeless eternal Hell. The narrow road is unpopular and difficult in ways, but is meaningful, fulfilling, and leads to Heaven.</span> IT'S YOUR CHOICE<span style="color: #38761d;">. </span></b><span style="color: #38761d;">It</span><b style="color: #38761d;"> will be what we all justly deserve before a perfectly loving, but just God. Won't you decide right now: Lord Jesus, I am a wrong doer, but I trust you died to take all MY SIN AWAY, and I ask You to be my Savior, Lord, and Guide the rest of my life. I further ask you to give me the courage to share this new faith in you with others. Thank you, Lord.</b><br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-87480886864731665702016-01-11T17:22:00.001-05:002016-01-30T20:28:23.026-05:00Earth's Seven Year Coming Destruction!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"> <b> Earth's Seven Year Coming Destruction! </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">#great tribulation</span><br />
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Persons of moral discernment see the world becoming more violent, corrupt, and evil like in the days of Noah (Genesis 6:5,11). Skeptics, secularists, socialists can party, laugh, and mock the Bible's promise of Jesus' return, not acknowledging God's love and patience for their repentance (2 Peter 3:3-4, 15). These rebels, however, will be terrified when they see Jesus coming in the eastern sky knowing their judgment is sure (Rev. 6:15-17). We who know Him rejoice in His return and will reign with Him on earth a thousand years. Let me briefly survey the events of this time of tribulation (See Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24; Rev. 6-19). </div>
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This period begins when the Lord Jesus takes away His church (John 14:1-4; 1 Thess. 4:15-17), and there is a great falling away from the faith. A world leader, an Antichrist, will arise to make a seven year treaty with the Jews allowing them to rebuild the temple and offer sacrifices (Dan. 9:27). There will be great increase in wars, famines, natural disasters, and believers martyred. This is only the beginning of sorrows (Matt. 24:5-15). <span style="color: blue;">It's the time of the Gentiles and of God's judgment of the earth (Luke 21:24).</span><br />
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Beginning the last half of this seven year period, this world leader or Antichrist will break his treaty with the Jews, deceive the world with deceptive signs, sit in the Jews temple, claim to be God, even demand worship as God (2 Thess. 2:2-4). He will demand everyone take his mark in their right hand or on the forehead. His number is 666 and he will be a highly esteemed government official promising peace. Thus, he will gain control of the world's shaky economic system (Rev. 13:16-18). Believers who won't take his mark will be martyred. <span style="color: blue;">He may be in the world even now. </span><br />
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During this time there will be a Satanic Trinity that will develop a global political system, a global economic system, and a global religious system. The world will make war against the Lamb. God's wrath will destroy ships at sea, cause world cities to fall into rubble, islands to disappear, mountains to be leveled, seventy-five pound hailstones to fall on the wicked and half of humanity will be slain. They will cry out in anguish and pain, but not turn from sin to God.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Seeing the bickering and deception among political candidates today shows their desire for wealth, power, and position is greater than their concern for the well-being and safety of the people they swear to serve. Don't we see our world becoming more violent, corrupt and rebellious than ever?</span><br />
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God will protect a remnant of Jewish believers making a way for them to escape into the wilderness the last half of the tribulation. Like Noah's family, they escape judgment to reproduce children in the 1,000 millennial kingdom of Christ's reign with us on earth. They are the sheep mentioned in Matthew 25:32-33.<br />
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Near the end of this time of Jacob's trouble, two hundred million soldiers will come from the east along with other nations (Matt. 24:9; Rev. 9:13-21; 16:12-14). They will capture Jerusalem, but God will then intervene miraculously to save Israel from utter destruction, and restore the house of David as He promised (Zech. 12:1-8). Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives to deliver His people (Zech. 14:4).<br />
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At last, the Jews will look on Him whom they pierced and accept their true Messiah (Romans 11:32-33). God's covenants with them will be fulfilled and the King of kings will reign over the world on David's thrown.<span style="color: blue;"><b> Don't delay! don't get caught in this time of world devastation without hope!</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Friends, God's promises are always fulfilled, but in God's time, according to God's plan, which is always the best for everyone. Won't U too trust that the Lord has a wonderful plan for your life. It starts with you admitting your sin and trusting in the Lord Jesus to save you, guide you throughout life, and take you to be with Him. Just say, Lord, I'm an unworthy sinner who now trusts YOU to save me. Share this article with others who may be saved.</b></span><br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-59604354229395618142015-12-31T15:50:00.001-05:002016-01-16T06:52:29.037-05:00Atheist Arguments to Devastate Bible Christianity Backfire!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b> <span style="color: #990000;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Atheist Arguments to Devastate Bible Christianity Backfire!</span></span></b><br />
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<b>This much is clear and certain: There either is a personal creator God or there isn't; there's an objective ethical standard or there isn't, there's life after death or there isn't, life has a purpose or it doesn't; and we have a rational universe or nothing makes sense. Such contradictory statements can't both be true! And what we believe true makes a world of difference for our lives!</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Atheist materialism and Biblical Christianity are opposed to each other so that only one or the other is true. Can we dare to take an honest look at what a Bible Christian has to say about it? The objections atheists claim devastate Biblical Christianity are the reasons that prove it true and devastate atheism.</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">(1) Atheists claim Biblical Christianity is false, arrogant, insulting, even dangerous.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"></span>This claim can of course be made against anyone with a religion or worldview that differs from their own. We can have vested interests and want to believe something so much that we refuse to consider anything that suggests it might not be true. But sometimes we may have a misunderstanding of an other's view that has been misrepresented to us by parents, friends, teachers. <span style="color: blue;"><b>So will you please give Bible Christianity a fair honest appraisal.</b></span><br />
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<b>Surely we can agree these factors would help us get closer to a true understanding.</b> <span style="color: blue;"><b>(1)</b></span> Conflicting religions<b>//</b>worldviews can't all be right or nothing makes any sense. There can't be one God, many gods, no God, the universe God, a personal Creator God, or god be an impersonal force. If any one is true, the rest are false. <span style="color: blue;"><b>(2)</b></span> Suppose the dignity of some highly esteemed person whether Plato, Muhammad, Joseph Smith Jr., a Hindu holy man, etc. said, "I talked with God, an angel, or had a vision of God and can tell you everything that you should accept as true." Should that be accepted as binding truth on all humanity? I think not! Don't crazy men sometimes say the same things? And can't people lie to get a following. Even sincere people can be deceived. And drugs can alter one's imagination to believe anything.<span style="color: blue;"><b> (3)</b></span> If there is a true God, wouldn't he be the God who cares for all people alike since persons are basically the same? So limited local tribal gods that exist only in human imagination would be discredited also. <b><span style="color: blue;">(4)</span></b> Now wouldn't a God limited in power, knowledge, and location be discredited as well? A god who isn't everywhere, doesn't know everything, may be ignorant of us, powerless to help us, and not even care. <span style="color: blue;"><b>That's not the Bible's God, and that god is not worthy of our worship and service.</b></span><br />
.<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Now Christians would agree with atheists who deny belief in any of these above ideas about God because none of them come close to the infinite eternal, self-existent, immaterial, all powerful, all wise, perfect Creator God who upholds the universe and acts within it to accomplish His good will. Moreover, an Almighty creative Mind could never be caught in a microscope, telescope, or science experiment but </span></b><b><span style="color: blue;">would be present and active all the while. </span></b><br />
<b>.</b><br />
<b>The crucial question is how could we know the Bible's </b><b>Go</b><b>d acts in our world on our behalf? </b>Wouldn't God have to do things neither nature nor man are known to do in order to get our attention and be recognized as Lord? <b>(1) Miracles.</b> The God of Bible prophets destroyed armies, cities, brought devastating plagues, sent food down from the sky, healed diseases instantly, all which showed his power greater than man or nature. <b>(2) Fulfilled prophecies. </b>God's spokesmen predicted details, and the rise and fall of individuals and nations impossible to guess, contrive, or explain away.<b> </b><br />
<b>.</b><br />
<b>(3) Jesus' death and resurrection.</b> Skeptics can't explain away the evidences. Five hundred eyewitnesses saw him alive, the empty tomb and left grave clothes, N.T., church, Bible history, secular confirmations. No skeptic has refuted it and many honest ones who tried became Christians. These things were not everyday occurrences, but grouped around individuals and crises circumstances while related to persons, places, events and a time line known in secular history as well as in the Bible. God's people were often mocked, persecuted, tortured, murdered for their faith. <b><span style="color: blue;">Only a deeply entrenched prejudice would dismiss this as impossible.</span></b><br />
<b>.</b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">(2) Atheists claim the evils of the world show the infinitely good and powerful God of the Bible doesn't exist.</span></b><br />
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We call human behaviors like theft, lies, cheating, murder, human abuse and injustice of any kind moral evils. But what if doing those things benefit us, make us feel superior, satisfy our desires, help us control others to our advantage? If we're only evolving animals, then doesn't might make right? When there's<i> no higher standard than human preferences and opinions,</i> then whoever gains the upper hand imposes his will on the rest of us. Our world become a vicious jungle and we are only animals fighting to survive the best we know. It's evolution of the most fit. If love, ethics, respect, fair play doesn't advance us, why bother. The winner then forces his will on the rest of us, even to say who lives and who dies.<b><span style="color: blue;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: blue;">An insecure,</span></b><b><span style="color: blue;"> insane, destructive world </span></b><b><span style="color: blue;">is the logical and practical outcome of atheism </span></b><br />
.<br />
But the Bible God is love and goodness whose good nature and will has set standards for our good. The Bible clearly teaches God created man in His image, a rational, moral person far above the animals. Unlike either animal instinct or programmed robots, we have a conscience, free will, and are held accountable for our actions. God's will is for us to respond to Him in a love--trust relationship that issues in our obedience, His glory, and human good. As a loving Father, He cannot force us to obey Him. He offers forgiveness even giving His Son to pay for our sins and enter eternal relationship and Heaven. But we can reject God's peace, joy, and love in Christ which is our own choice. We can reject God, and live in self-imposed darkness and torment forever. There will be no evils in Heaven as incorrigible sinners are imprisoned in Hell. <span style="color: blue;"><b>This is a fallen sinful world, but God invites us to relationship and His perfect Heavenly world.</b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">(3) Atheists claim an eternal torturous hell makes the Christian God a terrifying inhumane monster. </span></b><br />
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Let's get personal and honest. Would you want thieves, rapists, child abusers, homosexuals, terrorists, living next door to you and your family wondering all over your neighborhood? Of course, if you are elitist and live in a rich gated community, or house, and kids go to a secure school it may not concern you. Why be concerned about others anyway?<br />
.<br />
<b>Rational civilized countries isolate or imprison rebellious lawless citizens to protect the law-abiding from them.</b> Now when we use good sense to do that, how can we object when a loving God does it to protect and provide for His people? Doesn't that make good sense? <span style="color: blue;"><b>Isn't the atheists who mock hell claiming we're only perishing animals without hope the real monsters? Jesus, however, gives all who trust in Him dignity and a destiny of eternal abundant life.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span><br />
<b>Critics misrepresent hell in various ways.</b><span style="color: blue;"><b> (1)</b></span> They claim it's a torture chamber when the Bible shows it's their chosen self-inflicted torment of guilt, shame, anger, pride, selfishness, rebellion, emptiness in rejecting God.<b> <span style="color: blue;">(2)</span></b> They claim it's unfair to punish liars<i> the same</i> as serial killers in a lake of fire. The fire is a metaphor since it doesn't consume demons, the worm, cannot be quenched, and people experience punishment in accord with their degree of sin.<b style="color: blue;"> (3)</b><span style="color: blue;"> </span>People aren't given enough evidence to believe. God's usual signs are design in nature showing a Divine Designer, conscience showing a Moral Lawgiver, His Spirit convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, preachers, the Church, miracles, dreams. Even one sin cannot be allowed to corrupt God's perfect heaven. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Hell is the proof of a sovereign and holy God and of His love for all who trust in His forgiveness and incorruptible Heaven.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>(4) Atheists claim the naturalistic method of science discredits unscientific Christian beliefs.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">.</span><br />
<b>Prideful desire for prestige and authority can blind us to realities we don't want to admit to be true--</b>we like to play God having the final say. And when science is so revered today having been used in so many fields to produce so many useful benefits and amazing discoveries people just assume anything scientists say must be true even when common sense says otherwise. Now some scientists claim, science can explain everything, so that we don't need any God to fill in the gaps of our knowledge. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Could it be. not science, but that materialistic atheism is the real opponent of Christian beliefs even limiting progress within science itself? Atheists ignore or contradict crucial factors necessary to science.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span><br />
<b>Rather than being the enemy of science and modern experimental method, rational Christianity established them. </b>Atheists like Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss who claim God doesn't exist are like a car mechanic saying Henry Ford, never existed.<br />
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<b>Modern science and experimental method didn't arise unde</b>r-- Muslim fatalism, Greek intellectualism, superstitious animism, Hindu and Buddhist illusionism, but under the influence of Christians and Bible creationists who said we have a rational moral universe we can understand because God created it to work through secondary natural and moral laws. And God has made himself known through His son He sent to save us, the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. <b><span style="color: blue;">The calendar and time became measured as before Christ and after his death. Apart from Bible Christianity, it's</span></b><b><span style="color: blue;"> unlikely science would have risen, or could arise today under atheist materialism.</span></b><br />
<b>.</b><br />
<b>Let me mention a few on this full page of Bible believing creationist pioneers and their branch of science.</b> Astronomer Johanness Kepler (1571-1630) coined the phrase "Thinking God's thoughts after Him." Scientist mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) was a devoted Christian inventor and apologist<i>. </i>The great Isaac Newton (1642-1727) wrote more on theology than on science. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626). He invented the scientific method of repeated empirical testing. <b><span style="color: blue;">This is not mentioned in science textbooks, or that many noble prize winners were Christians. And it's often implied that Christians and creationists can't be good scientists. Atheist's deceptions!</span></b><br />
<b>.</b><br />
<b>Science is based upon philosophy, not experiment. What atheist materialists don't want you to know is that before an experiment is performed the scientist must make a basket full of assumptions. </b>Truth exists and is knowable. Nature's laws are orderly and consistent. Effects have causes. Our senses give accurate information. Immaterial laws of logic and math apply to our world. We have free will to conduct experiments. Honesty is required if science is verifiable. Now scientists do falsify their data and conclusions to get grants for their departments and projects. <b><span style="color: blue;">We must check to see if their science is fact, because what some scientists say may not be. And what is called scientific fact today, may be discredited</span></b><b><span style="color: blue;"> science fiction tomorrow.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">
.</span></b><br />
<b>The real war is not between science and Christianity but between science and materialism.</b> Unless the universe created itself, everything is an effect pointing to and dependent upon God, its Creator. Despite what popular atheist Laurence Krauss says, all science is based upon a universe that is the effect of a great cause. That cause would be the self-existent, eternal, immaterial, immutable, omniscience, omnipotent morally perfect God who revealed Himself by acts with us in the history of the Bible and works in lives today giving love, peace, hope, help to believers .<br />
<b>.</b><br />
<b>Can's we use the "H word<i>"</i> for atheists who don't behave like they claim to believe? </b> They say causality is a valid science principle except in creation which would disprove atheism. Only matter exists, but ask you to believe their immaterial arguments, theories, reasons, evidences that prove atheism. They deny objective morality but complain about injustices all the time. They deny consciousness, sense experience, logic, faith, truth, free will, then ask you to accept their conclusions. They say Christianity is dangerous, but never mention all the atheists wars that slaughtered millions. They mock God, right to take life, but affirm their right to abort babies.<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God," They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race, he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away, all have become corrupt. Psalm 14:1-3</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">The most important issue now and for eternity is to abandon atheist foolishness, swallow our arrogant pride, tell our Creator we trust in Him who gave His son to pay for our sin, free us from slavery, the world's temptations, Satan's lies, and our self-centered rebellion. Then we experience God's forgiveness, love, peace, eternal life. Say without hesitation: Lord Jesus, I trust and commit myself to you now and forever. Thank you now as my Savior, Lord, Guide, and I will serve you from now own and share my new faith WWW and with others.</span></b><br />
. </div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-62518944687250105922015-11-16T17:58:00.000-05:002015-12-19T09:37:09.548-05:00Are OT Yahweh and NT Jesus Different Gods?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #990000;"> Are OT Yahweh and NT Jesus Different Gods?</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yahweh appears a judging punishing God, while Jesus is a loving forgiving God. Yahweh is one God, but Jesus has a Father and sends the Holy Spirit who are said to be God. These seem to be strange contradictory concepts. Are there good answers we fair-minded people can understand.</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"> The Prerequisites to understanding the Christian faith.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>.</b></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>1. The Bible God is creator of time, space, matter, and life including man in His image. "</b>In the beginning <i>(time</i>) God created the heavens (<i>space</i>) and the earth (<i>matter</i>). God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them, male and female. Then God looked down over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good." Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 31 NLT. <span style="color: blue;"> <b>All the rest of the Bible is based upon this. Now, if God be creator, then lessor things as miracles are no problem.</b></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>.</b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Bible plainly says God created the universe. However, other world religions taught the universe is eternal.<i><span style="color: purple;"><b> So, they can't be right!</b></span> </i>Medieval philosophers knew that if there were an infinite number of days before today, that today could never arrive. Scientists in recent decades claim the universe exploded with a big bang. It's expansion suggests a central beginning point. Heat depletion too shows it had a beginning. Now both science and logic say that <i>from nothing, nothing comes</i> because<i> </i>nothing has no power, force, mind, or will--it's nonexistence. Every beginning thing must have a cause--it can't create itself. <span style="color: blue;"><b>So what is the nature of this source or cause of the universe?</b></span><br />
<b>. . .</b><br />
First, we have a universe, not a multi-verse as shown by its vast unity, complexity, design, and order. Further, all this being natural effects, it necessarily requires a supernatural cause meaning an immaterial, eternal, unchangeable, infinitely powerful Self-existent Mind and Will. <span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"> <b style="color: blue;">Friends, this supernatural Source is very much like </b></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>the Bible describes its perfect God. </b></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now consider the old question:<b> Which came first the chicken or the egg? </b>(<span style="color: magenta;"><b>1</b></span>) Hen and rooster are compatibly designed to produce chicks. <span style="color: magenta;">(<b>2</b>)</span> Hens have a protein called overleiden 17 in their body essential for egg shells to form. <span style="color: magenta;"><b>(3</b></span>) Hens must lay on eggs 21 days to keep them warm to hatch fully formed chicks. <span style="color: magenta;"><b>(4</b></span>) Hens must turn their eggs over 3 or more times a day to maintain warmth. (<b><span style="color: magenta;">5</span></b>)<b style="color: magenta;"> </b>The chicks must peck their way out of the shell to gain strength. (<span style="color: magenta;"><b>6</b></span>) The hen protects her chicks under her wings and shows them how to get food and water. <b>(<span style="color: magenta;">7</span></b>) Chicken DNA designs chickens, not some other kind of bird or animal. <span style="color: magenta;">(<b>8</b>)</span> And chickens are bred by human intelligence, not by accident. <span style="color: blue;"><b>All this shows life forms are created to reproduce after</b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b> their own kind. But</b></span><b style="color: blue;"> man is in God's rational, moral, immortal image. This </b><b style="color: blue;">demolishes macro evolution. I</b><b style="color: blue;">t's only a speculative theory--blind mindless material molecules can't arrange themselves into men.</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>2. The Bible God has made Himself known to receptive hearts through the ages in many ways. </b>Our first parents in Paradise were innocent until they sinned in choosing self over God. Human conscience and government proved ineffective guides. God through Moses gave Israel a system of laws and sacrifices but Israel's pride prevented their witness to the world. God sent judges, prophets, priests, apostles, and evangelists inviting the unbelieving world to trust Him. God blessed believers fulfilling promises, and covenants and warned rebels through disasters, plagues, wars. <b><span style="color: blue;">But self-centered people</span></b><b><span style="color: blue;"> drift away following their own desires. </span></b><br />
<b>. .</b><br />
Throughout the ages, God tested human faith in unusual ways: Job's sufferings, Abraham's faith, Joseph's dreams, Samson's strength, David's victories, Solomon's wisdom, Jonah's fish. God sent angels, showed miracles. Finally, God's infinite love sent His sinless Son Jesus who died to pay for our sins and arose for our assurance. But! despite all God's pleadings, efforts, and warnings, cities, tribes, nation, schools, drift into hopeless corruption. <i>Regretfully, God had to destroy them like a cancer to save the others. </i>Just as God destroyed the violent evil people of Noah's day, He will again in great tribulation (Gen. 6:11-12; Matt. 24:21-22;37-39; Rev.6-19). <b style="color: blue;">Wake up friends! God pleads with us to open our hearts and minds to receive His love, peace, joy, purpose, salvation and Heaven. It's your choice. God longs for relationship with us. Won't you trust Him for it?</b><br />
<b>.</b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b style="color: black;">3</b><b style="color: black;">. Our Denial of the Bible God ignores the facts, makes our world evil, and us bitter instead of better. </b><span style="color: black;">Hardened unbelief shakes its fist in God's face <i>"shouting--I'm handicapped. My loved one died. I've been victim of abuse, robbery, rape, murder; such evils abound--there can't be a good God or He would take out all the bad guys who abuse me." </i></span><b style="color: black;"> Really!!</b><span style="color: black;"><i> </i>I<b>f the Bible God of truth, love, justice, and authority doesn't exist, then where does that leave us? </b></span></span><b><i>Think about it!</i></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b><i>.</i></b></span></span><br />
<i><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Wouldn't it leave us with mere limited, conflicting, arrogant, human, self-centered opinions? Wouldn't it rob us of dignity and ethics, make our world a dangerous jungle, make us animals fighting each other for temporary survival? Doesn't that make us all self-centered rebels? --WE are the bad guys! </span><span style="color: black;">And</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span>doesn't denial of Bible beliefs destroy all basis for justice, love, peace, truth, and hope! Life after death depends on the Savior who bore our sins on the cross and arose from the dead? </span></b></i><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b>...</b></span></span><br />
<b style="text-align: left;">4. Yes, there is only one God throughout the Bible. </b><span style="text-align: left;">A</span><span style="text-align: left;"> universe rather than a multi-verse is the effect of a single Mind. "In the beginning God" (not gods Gen.1:1). Israel's creed called the shema is, "Hear O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is one (Deut. 6:4). "I am the first and the last; apart from me there is no God (Isaiah 44:6). Jesus repeats and reaffirms Israel's creed in the N.T. (Mark 12:29). Paul agrees only one God (I Cor. 8:4; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:5). Logically,t</span><span style="text-align: left;">here can be only one Almighty, infinite, pure, perfect God. More than one God would require different kinds of beings. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Paul explains other so-called Gods are merely idols or demons (1 Cor. 10:20). </span><br />
<b style="text-align: left;">.</b><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><b>But the One Bible God is a Trinity of divine persons.</b> Space limits explanation. While t</span><span style="text-align: left;">he word</span><span style="text-align: left;"> Trinity is never mentioned, its clearly taught in many ways. First, each member is described as a person having a mind, emotions, and will; God is never represented as some kind of impersonal mindless force. Second, each person is shown to be God. Each has the names of God and called God,Yahweh, Lord, Savior. Each has offices of God--Creator, Redeemer, Judge. Each as God is worshiped, forgives sin, is praised and thanked. God the Father is seen through out the Bible. Jesus is the Angel of the Lord and the predicted Messiah. The Spirit appears is in Genesis 1:2 and numerous other times.<b><span style="color: blue;"> So the Bible teaches only one God as the three persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some say it's a contradiction!</span></b></span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><b>. </b></span><br />
<b>But three persons in one essence is not a contradiction.</b> It would be if it were three natures in one nature or three persons in one person. We rightfully expect the Creator of the universe to be greater that our limited understanding. We mustn't assume things we can't know in advance and accept what God has told us about Himself in His Word. God is like a lover (Father) a loved one (Son), and the Spirit of love. Or, a triangle with one body and three sides. 1 John 4:16.<br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: blue;">.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;"><b>5. The Bible God invites us into an eternal love-trust relationship with Him.</b> This relationship is entered into if we will humbly admit we just care about fulfilling our selfish desires rather than trusting God's way to meet our needs on His terms in His time and way. Yes, it requires humility and trust that God's way is best after all. It's a decision for all this life and </span><span style="text-align: left;">eternity. The wrong choice means eternal separation from God in darkness, loneliness, and self-chosen torments of Hell. </span><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)</span>. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Friend, won't you say, Lord I trust you no</span></b><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">w as my own Savior, Lord, and Guide. </span></b></div>
<b>.</b></div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-3728623842088040062015-11-16T12:28:00.000-05:002016-01-19T22:38:35.887-05:00Christian! Are You Ready for Test Day?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2>
<b><span style="color: #990000;"> Christians! Are You Ready for Test Day?</span></b></h2>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised his disciples, "When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am" (John 14:3). Paul later explained when Jesus comes for his church they would be caught up to meet him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). Then great tribulation would occur on earth, (Dan. 9:26; Matt. 24:21).Christians will be taken up to be with Jesus to have their earthly works and service evaluated for it's quality of reward.<span style="color: blue;"> <b>Paul compares the life in Christ as a building with foundations. </b></span><br />
<b><i>.</i></b><br />
<i><b>"Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have--Jesus Christ.</b></i><br />
<i><b>.</b></i><br />
<i><b>Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials--gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames" (1 Cor. 3:10-15 NLT).</b></i><br />
<i><b>.</b></i><br />
As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, our every thought, word, and deed will be tested like gold, silver, jewels that to various degrees glorify God, or like wood, hay, straw that reveal we did it for selfish reasons/motives and we lose what could have been rewarded. <b><span style="color: blue;">Now let's see some review questions that may be asked us on the test when we stand before Jesus.</span></b><br />
.<br />
<b>Do you treat other believers who differ somewhat from you with respect and kindness? </b>Heb. 6:10; Matt. 10:41-42. Our individual interests, teachers, experiences influence our beliefs and behavior. We don't believe every detail exactly alike and should be gracious. Gentle loving persuasion, not force or threats are in order.<br />
.<br />
<b>Do you use your talents and abilities to help others or just to promote yourself?</b> Matt. 25:14:29; 1 Cor. 12:4; 1 Pet. 4:10. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We make a better world to follow the Golden Rule.<br />
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<b>Do we you use your money to help others without blowing your trumpet?</b> Matt. 6:1-4; 1 Tim. 6:17-19. They we will be helped and we will please and be rewarded by God. We should care more about being God-pleasures than men-pleasures.<br />
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<b>Do you humbly accept mistreatment and injustice?</b> Mark 10:29-30; Rom. 18:18. It shows true faith and follows the example of Jesus. The world that doesn't love Jesus won't love His followers either.<br />
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<b>Do we patiently accept sufferings and trials?</b> James 1:12; Rev. 2:10. It shows strong faith and is the means to growth. They will come as Jesus warned but patiently endured prove our faith and bring us great reward.<br />
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<b>Do you use your time in positive, disciplined and holy activities?</b> Psalm 90:9-12; Ephesians 5:16; Col. 4:5. Time is fleeting and shouldn't be wasted. We're to be disciplined like athletes keeping our mind on the goal.<br />
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<b>Do you control your fleshly appetites?</b> 1 Cor. 9:25-27 Out of control desires lead to destruction, shame on our testimony for Christ.<br />
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<b>Do you speak up for principles of our faith and are not ashamed of Jesus?</b> Prov. 11:30; Dan. 12:3; 1 Thess. 2:19-20. If we be ashamed of Jesus and things eternal, he will be ashamed of us when we see Him.<br />
.<br />
<b>Do you speak carefully and respectfully of other people?</b> Matt.12:36; James 3:1-12 The tongue is a fire for evil or it can be a tool of encouragement.<br />
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<b>Do you study and mediate on God's Word or just read it quickly and soon forget its instructions?</b> Acts 20:26-28; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; Heb. 13:17. God's Word is the means He uses to guide us in knowing how to live for Him and be shinning lights in this dark sinful world.<br />
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<b>Do you seek to win others to the Savior?</b> Matt. 28:19-20: Acts 1:8. We are the King's ambassadors which is a high honor. Soul winners who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars in space. Modern technology enables us to do today what people before could only dream of doing. We can reach the world with the good news from any place on the globe. Pray for God's Holy Spirit to use you sending these computer articles WWW. That's the best thing we can do for people in life now and for their eternal life in Heaven. Lord, use my brother/sister in faithful and fruitful ministry.<br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-26264391141458111362015-10-19T15:41:00.000-04:002016-01-23T18:00:12.042-05:00Questions Many Christians Can't Answer!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"> Questions Many Christians Can't Answer!</span></h2>
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">Skeptics often claim Christians are emotional narrow minded persons who can't give good answers to honest sensible questions about their faith. They fail to understand the situation and may act no different themselves if questioned about their beliefs. Pastors don't conduct Sunday services the same way skeptical college professors conduct their classes. Skeptics usually have a secular background, are ignorant of Bible teaching, have heard only a secular viewpoint, are hostile toward persons of different beliefs, and pride themselves on being intellectually superior. I ask only that you try honestly to be open and fair-minded to a Christian biblical answer to these following questions. Thank you. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<b>Why do Christians try to impose their beliefs on others? </b>Some malign Christians as biased, arrogant, intolerant, narrow-minded even dangerous in their beliefs about God and morality. <i>But lets be honest: </i>the <i><span style="color: magenta;">politically correct crowd</span></i> seeks to stifle free speech. <i><span style="color: magenta;">Atheists</span></i> preach science destroys belief in God. <i><span style="color: magenta;">Muslims</span></i> try to impose their law on the world. <i> <span style="color: magenta;">National socialists</span></i><span style="color: magenta;"> (Nazis)</span> try to force everybody to have all things in common.<span style="color: magenta;"> <i>ISIS</i> </span>beheads everyone who disagrees with them, especially Christians. All these groups think they are right and fight to control or eliminate the others. It reduces our world to a jungle and us to mere animals in a power struggle for evolutionary survival of the fittest. Instead of working for the common good, it seems people today care only for their special interests. Isn't this making our world increasingly insane, dangerous, and diabolically evil?<br />
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Christians believe that we are created in God's image with dignity, and equality, thus entitled to respect, freedom, peaceful discussion and negotiation. That's what made America great! Only Christians have historical eyewitness evidences how a real God has acted in our real world that provides the basis we need for a rational world, absolute truth, authority, justice, peace, love, empirical science, and hope for life after death. Could the Bible be right that those who hate God love death (Proverbs 8:36).<b><span style="color: blue;"> I believe honest, open minded persons willing to look at the evidence will see it far superior to any alternative.</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><b> How Then Can a Loving God Send Good People to Hell? </b>This question is loaded with many unfair assumptions like the question: Have you beat your wife lately? </span></span>What is a loving God? What do you mean by good people? Is it really God that sends people to Hell, or could it be their choice?<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"> God as Creator is the only being who is good and loving. His standard is absolute perfection (Psalm 25:8; Matt. 5:48; 19:17). We are evil doers who can't attain His perfect standard (Rom. 3:10, 23). PLEASE BE HONEST AND THINK THIS THROUGH. Love seeks the good of people; evil is the defect that destroys good </span></span>as a broken arm, blindness, hate instead of love. UNDERSTAND; <b>First</b>, if evil were allowed into heaven, it would spread and contaminate everything, like a disease it would destroy Heaven. <b>Second</b>, if there's no Hell and we rebellious sinners are allowed into Heaven, then morality is meaningless---no matter what we believe or do results are the same. <b>Third,</b> we have a conscience to discern right and wrong and God gives us the choice to trust Him and His way, or go our own way living apart from Him. This gives us dignity, and freedom--we're neither animals nor robots.<b> Finally, </b>knowing we can't live perfect lives, God provided a way to know Him giving His sinless Son Jesus to bear our just punishment--what greater display of love can there be? We can be forgiven, cleansed, and made fit for Heaven in right relationship with Him. <b>THAT'S GOD'S WAY</b><b><span style="color: blue;">--But it's the choice each of us must make--Jesus and Heaven, Or our selfish rebellious way and Hell. Read the Gospel of John carefully and you'll see it's taught a hundred times!</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span><br />
<b>But Why Are Christians Such Hypocrites? </b>Can we view this issue with some openness of mind? Does anybody live consistently with what they believe or claim to believe? Can our different beliefs make us hyper critical of others who don't believe as we do? Are we prejudiced for some reason, and don't we put others down to make us feel good/prideful? Do we know for sure they even are Christians? Anyone can go to a church, carry a Bible, even serve in a church office and not be a real believer. Nobody is perfect according to the Bible, so that's why we all need Jesus to save us. <span style="color: blue;"><b>If we search our own heart and pray for the hypocrites instead of condemning them, we might help them, and be more humane ourselves.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><b>Must a Person Be A Church Member To Go To Heaven? </b>Let's be realistic about this. Some persons are simply unable to walk and can't go to a local church. In many areas there is no gospel church nor Christian believers to fellowship with. In some areas, persons dare not attend a Christian church for fear of persecution and death. Some hear the news of the Savior and trust him in their dying moments. Some churches have forsaken the faith and don't even preach Jesus is Savior. But we should join with other true believers when possible to be informed, encouraged and strengthen in faith. We can learn and/or share with other believers by radio, television, email, home Bible studies. The thief on the cross next to Jesus acknowledged his sin and received the Lord's promise of Heaven while dying on the cross.<b style="color: #990000;"> </b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>What's most important is that we look to the Lamb of God who alone can take away our sin (John 1:29)</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span><br />
Consider these words of God's apostle (sent one) Peter. "There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 "He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and love what is right." First Peter 2:24 "Christ suffered for our sins for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. First Peter 3:18. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Just having our name on some church register doesn't change our sinful hearts to love Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We could join a church and be a hypocrite who cares nothing at all that Jesus died to pay for the sins we committed or God's way to make us clean and acceptable to Him.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><b>.</b></span></span><br />
<b>Are Some Persons Predestined to Heaven and Others to Hell? </b>Yes, in one sense from God's perspective. The Bible says, "I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things that are not yet done (Isaiah 46:10). Our Creator of the space-time universe existed before time and exists outside of time. But He everywhere sustains the universe so He knows all that takes place. For him everything is fixed, determined, certain. This means He knows our every thought, word, and deed in advance and if we will become believers. God doesn't force His way on us, but lovingly invites us to Him. So it's our choice to receive Jesus and Heaven, or reject Him and spend eternity in the self-inflicted torment and darkness of Hell. See John 3:16-20, 36. <b><span style="color: blue;">Won't you say, Lord Jesus as an unfit sinner, I trust you now to save me and be your child from now on. </span></b><br />
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<b>Are We The Terminal Generation? </b> We don't know the exact year, month, date, or hour when Jesus will return to take His true believers to be with Him forever (Mark 13:32; John 14:1-3). But He will rapture His church (1 Thess. 4:16-18, 1 Cor. 15:51-52). Then, God will judge this rebellious rejecting world like never before. If this tribulation were not cut short, nobody would survive (Matt.24:21-22). After that Jesus will return to earth to reign as King of kings over the world in Jerusalem as the Tanakh or O.T. prophets foretold (Daniel 7:27; Rom. 11:26-27; Rev. 20:1-4). Then, the final great white judgment and the New Heaven and Earth.<span style="color: blue;"><b> Praise God!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span></div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-60797028534256237042015-07-25T15:33:00.001-04:002016-01-23T18:06:03.091-05:00How Can Christians Believe Such Things?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b> How Can Christians Believe Such Things?</b></span></h2>
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Don't people have the right to question Christian beliefs? I'm suspicious of any religion that forbids or threatens harm for asking questions. How else are we to learn the truth? Such religions it seems must have a bad background and false and dangerous teachings they want to hide. It's true hostile deceived people can harm honest questioners. But Bible Christianity invites honest thinking people to question it freely without fear because it gives evidence of being God's truth. Let me briefly address two Bible issues many people understand little or nothing about, or may have heard lies.. See my other articles for other questions and fuller discussion.<span style="color: blue;"> <b>God bless.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">.</span></div>
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<b>1. Isn't being good the way to a good God and a good Heaven? </b>That seems so logical and true, but it assumes a host of false notions people never consider. It assume God's goodness means he approves things we think good, and disapproves things we think bad. It assumes our selfish prideful desires are normal and not displeasing to God. It assumes Christianity is just a bunch of unnecessary rules that spoil our fun. It assumes our teachers, and parental examples were right. <b><span style="color: blue;">Now please consider God's teachings and reasons. "We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">This is the relationship God wants to have with us now and forever.</span></b> <span style="color: black;">"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our live<b>s:</b>
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things."
(Gal. 5:22).<b> <span style="color: blue;">Now why is there no law against
these things? Could it be that people know this would be the ideal world
with a God who loves us? It's God's desire we have a kind of Heaven on
earth in relationship with Him.</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: blue;">. </span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">I hope this is not the way our Creator and Owner may see you in the day of judgment. </span></b><span style="color: black;">"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sensual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you . . .that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21).</span><b> Many people call these lifestyles fun. They don't realize they're rejecting the standard of God who loves them. Their choice of rejecting His offer of love is an eternity of torment in darkness, loneliness, guilt and shame--it's called Hell. God loves us enough to tell us the truth!</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">2. How can a loving God send anyone to Hell? </span></b><span style="color: black;"><i>Could there be some false assumptions here too? </i>Does love mean it's alright to do anything we desire without reprimand or punishment? Should everybody be allowed to run the streets robbing, rapeing, killing people they don't like, or for fun? Is it a mistake to put such people in jail? How do you know there is life after death? Should such people be allowed to do their thing in Heaven? What is the meaning of justice and does it have anything to do with love? Is it better to allow one person's feelings rule over the good and safety of all others? Isn't hell God's torture chamber? <span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Is there a way to avoid hell?</span> <b>Can you put your feelings aside for a moment and be courageously honest and open to Bible teaching?</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Nothing we think, believe, or do ultimately matters if death means we cease to exist. </b>That's a meaningless insane world going nowhere.<span style="color: blue;"> <span style="color: black;">We have no dignity, freedom, purpose, or hope. We're just born, struggle to exist, reproduce, and die, lights out.<b> </b></span><b>But if there's a Heaven we can gain and a Hell we can avoid, then human dignity, freedom, ethics, and everything else comes together, makes sense, and shows an ultimate purpose. </b></span></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> .</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> <b>(2) A loving God doesn't send anyone to Hell-- we sinners send ourselves by rejecting God's loving offer of salvation. </b>True love invites; it doesn't force itself upon us. People go to Hell by their own choice of preferring their way to God's way and rejecting the Savior. <b>"</b>Anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life, but remains under God's angry judgment" (John 3:36). God is very patient with us inviting us to trust in Him to save us from our sins.<b> <span style="color: blue;">"He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent" (2 Peter 3:9 NLT). </span></b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(3) The afterlife in Hell is not torturous fire, but fiery torments. </b>It's memories like described<i> above</i> in Gal. 5:19-21).</span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> It's aloneness,</span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> darkness, hate, guilt, shame, regret, lost opportunities, God's wrath, and a hopeless forever. Hell was created for the
devil and his angels which are evil spirits. So, Hell's undying worms aren't consumed in physical fire, but tormented with burning evil passions. Hell's lake of fire is degrees of torment-- serial killers tormented worse
than liars. <span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Sins in life decides degrees of torments in Hell</span> <span style="color: black;">(Luke 12:48; Rom.2:6).</span><b> Love applied socially is God's truth and justice: "Don't be misled--you
cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant" (Gal. 6:7) </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;">. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(4) Unrepentant God rejecting people can't be allowed to corrupt God's perfect Heaven.</b> Believers in Christ aren't perfect, but shouldn't their sincere faithful efforts be rewarded? Bible says they will be given crowns and wear white robes of purity. Not their righteousness, but Christ's who they trusted in to save them. Now the worm is not consumed, so the<i> Bible doesn't teach annihilation </i>of the unrepentant wicked. Considering that God rejectors despised His ways on earth and mocked His worship, blessings, and praise, so why would they be any different in Heaven? <span style="color: blue;"><b>They would enjoy turning Heaven into their kind of Hell! So wouldn't it be most unloving of God to allow them to destroy Heaven? </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(5)</b> </span></span><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Jesus, the world's only perfect man suffered for nothing on the cross if we sinners would go to Heaven anyway. </span></span></b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">"For</span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> the wages of sin is death (spiritual & eternal), but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). Jesus did this for us as his enemies leading shameful lives. "If keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die" (Gal. 2:21). <b><span style="color: blue;">The whole Bible from Genesis 2:15 until Revelation 22:21 in many ways teaches Jesus blood and righteousness is humanities only means a loving God provided for us sinners to come into relationship with God and be made fit to dwell in His perfect Heaven. Do you know Him?</span></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Have you ever felt empty longings that there must be something greater than you've known in life? We need water, water exists. Do you seek inner peace and ultimate purpose? Have you sensed Someone calling you to relationship with Him? Could trusting your soul into Jesus care be what you need? Pray, Lord, I'm an unworthy sinner, but I trust You now and forever to be my Savior, Lord, and Guide until You come for me, or death takes me to You. Now use me Lord to do those things that really count for now and for eternity.</b></span><br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-38422661051933662092015-07-20T13:04:00.000-04:002015-12-03T14:06:36.787-05:00The Ultimate Cause of Human Sufferings!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b> The Ultimate Cause of Human Sufferings!</b></span></h2>
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The Ultimate Cause of Human Sufferings is our Human Free Will Rejection of God. Even those who claim science shows we are programmed expect you to freely believe their arguments against free will-- Say, isn't this being a bit hypocritical? Free will means our mind can weigh alternatives and make rational choices. No free will makes us either instinctual animals or programmed machines without dignity, freedom, purpose, destiny, or hope. <b><span style="color: blue;">We struggle to survive, reproduce, and then our lights go out. </span></b><br />
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Our acts then can't be either praised or blamed, and all sense of responsibility degenerates into lawless anarchy and warfare until some strong man and group usurp control and dictates who lives or dies by their rules. <span style="color: blue;"><b>That seems to be the way we're headed.</b></span></div>
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<b>We reject the God made known to us in creation, conscience, and Christ. </b>Most scientists today admit that, like a wound-up clock, the universe is running down. That means it's not permanent, but had a beginning and will have an end. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Nothing (no non existent thing), can create itself, and any beginning thing must have a cause.</b></span></div>
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<b>What then is required of the sourse or cause of the universe's origion? </b>It must exist prior to and independently of the space, time, and matter it created. It would be outside time, eternal, and unchanging, thus self-existent. An immense universe of energy too, would require its sourse be a power that exists throughout the universe. And the source would be an infinite mind and will to account for things showin undeniable specific complex design of means adapted to ends. <span style="color: blue;"><b>No mindless force, nor random process, can be the source of our universe. Just as red, white, and blue, confetti thrown from an airplane billions of times for billions years is unlikely to form the American flag. </b></span></div>
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<b>Creation's source, then seems to exhibit these characteristics</b>. The source of the universe's origion is self-existent, eternal, immutable, immaterial, outside time, everywhere present, and an infinitely powerful, everpresent, intelligent mind and will. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Now, if we consult the Bible with an honest, open mind, isn't this exactly the sort of things its describes about God as creation's Source. Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; Col. 1:15-17; John 1:1-4, and multitudes of others?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">Can non living mindless chemicals organize themselves into all the specified complex life forms we see on our planet? </span></b><span style="color: black;">Didn't Louis Pasture and others demonstrate long ago that life only comes from life? Isn't there incredible genetic steps mindless molecules by random process must overcome? Isn't what we actually know, biologically, that mutations are usually destructive, are weeded out, and would require a multiple simultaneous changes to occur at once to make real permanent change? Isn't the supposed genetic tree an unproved "evolutionary gaps argument?" Do extinct dinosaur bones prove anything more than that some animals died out as some are becoming extinct today? What do artist drawings of a monkey becoming an erect man prove other than a lack of real evidence to support a dogmatic theory? <span style="color: blue;"><b>We see every day that animals reproduce<span style="color: black;">e</span> after their own kind as dogs birth verities of dogs, but never horses? We know life forms are genetically programmed to have limits. </b></span></span><b> </b><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<b>And what does our human conscience showing compassion, guilt, and shame mean?</b> Yes, we can harden our hearts to the point of indifference, yet conscience seems to be a natural, rational, objective trait in everyone. Everywhere people show moral beliefs saying some acts are not fair, shouldn't happen, etc. We unavoidably make moral judgments. Such moral judgments point to an ultimate standard to judge our behavior as right or wrong. It is a moral law, we feel constrained to make excuses when we break it. We feel guilt and shame when we do. It's not like mathematics, but discovered, not invented. We may risk our own lives in a sense of duty to save others. Acts of genocide and rape are regarded as evil in all cultures. And we condemn others who would cheat, steal, kill and betray us.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b> <span style="color: black;">Christians say this moral standard or law doesn't make sense unless there is a higher Moral Standard we're all responsible to. </span></b><span style="color: black;">The forces of nature or nothing in the natural world can know our actions or motives. Atheists admit evils abound but nothing can we absolutely right or wrong if limited, conflicting human opinion of dying persons are all we have as a basis. Science can only describe what is, not tell us how things ought to be. Monist religions that claim everything is God have no basis to say anything is really good or evil. <span style="color: blue;"><b>The only thing that makes sense is that the infinite Creator God</b><span style="color: black;"> <span style="color: blue;"><b>exists</b></span></span><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"> as our Moral Standard and Righteous Lawgiver. He</span> </span>would know all our acts and motives, and could hold us accountable. Yes! a Righteous Judge is scary! And <span style="color: black;">s</span>till leaves crucial questions unanswered.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">A Creator God can explain the universe as rational, understandable, accounts for specified complex life forms, for our human conscience, and does make sense of so much of our world. </span>But even supposing this God exists, the big unanswered questions are: <u>Does he love us? Can he make himself know to us in personal relationship? Is there hope we human beings don't just reproduce and die<span style="color: black;">,<span style="color: blue;"> lights out?</span></span></u> </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Only Biblical Christianity can answer all those questions affirmatively in the person of Jesus Christ. "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son (the sinless God-man), so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes (surrenders themselves in truth). But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact. God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants (John 3:16-21). "For the Son of man came to seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10)." Only Jesus arose from the dead, we who trust ourselves to Him will arise too and live with him forever. I love you Lord, praise you, and thank you Lord.</span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Dear reader friend, from our first parents unto today the ultimate cause of suffering is our choice to reject God. He offers us dignity & destiny, not of compulsion, but of love. Eternal fulfillment are offered you in relationship with God in Christ now and forever in Heaven. But if you prefer your way, the Bible calls it darkness, torment, and Hell. God loves you. Jesus died to save you. Trust in God's love and light. Won't you say, "I trust you now Lord Jesus to forgive my sins, save me, and guide me as your child." Now get a Bible to learn God's will for you. Get with God's people for encouragment and ministry. God bless.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">.. </span> </span></b> </span></span></div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-84378286472613167282015-07-11T10:07:00.000-04:002016-01-28T00:09:27.902-05:00Is Any Human Act Really & Ultimately Right or Wrong?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Is Any Human Act Really & Ultimately Right or Wrong?</b></span></h2>
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Little Bobby playing in the school sandbox made a beautiful sandcastle. He was so happy and proud of his achievement, he wanted to show it to his friends. Billy made a sandcastle on the other end of the sandbox, but Billy's sandcastle fell in and was ruined. Angrily, Billy stomped over and stepped on Bobby's sandcastle. Bobby was so angry and disappointed, almost to tears. He screamed, "Billy, you're mean. You don't play fair, and I'm gonna tell the teacher." <b>Was Billy wrong to destroy Bobby's sandcastle? Upon what basis would any act of man be ultimately right or wrong?</b></div>
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<b>.</b></div>
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<b>What if there's no kind of God? </b>C.S. Lewis points out that people say things like: "How'd you like it if anyone did the same to you?" --"That's my seat, I was there first"-- Leave him alone, he isn't doing you any harm"--"Why should you shove in first?"--"Give me a bit of your orange, I gave you a bit of mine"--"Come on, you promised." <span style="color: blue;">People everywhere say such things every day whether young, old, educated, uneducated. <span style="color: white;"> uoo</span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Lewis isn't saying people don't mean just that other persons don't please them<span style="color: blue;">;</span> <span style="color: blue;">t</span>hey mean there is a standard of behavior they expect others to know<span style="color: blue;"> <span style="color: black;">and to follow</span>.<span style="color: white;"> </span></span></span></span>If others do deny the standard, they are constrained to give some special reason to excuse their bad behavior. <span style="color: blue;">So both parties had in mind some kind of law, ethical rule, sense of fair play, or standard of acceptable behavior. But if no kind of God exists, nature is everything, then something within nature must serve as every body's ethical standard. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">. </span><br />
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Now if man within all of nature is the highest being (no God we know really exists), then whatever moral standard there is must rest on human ideals. It seems the Golden Rule of treat others the way you want them to treat you, would be our ideal guide. But our selfish nature's want to dominate and control things our way. So we fight and destroy each other until some group or strong man gets control. <span style="color: blue;">The victors must enslave and kill all who oppose them to keep the peace and maintain their standard. Essentially, it seems we're no different than the
perishing animals. This ultimate conclusion of no God is the atheist humanist
ethic and its what we see throughout history.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">. </span></div>
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<b>What if the universe is God?</b> Eastern religions as Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, and others as "Christian Science", New Age claim the universe is God (pantheism), and God is the universe (monism). Like different ingredients cooked together in a cake, everything ultimately is the same and the differences are (Maya) illusion. We have multiple lives that take different forms (reincarnations). It's like the crops that come up each spring from the seeds they leave behind (deeds, karma). We are all a part of God and must not help suffering people as that only prolongs their suffering in other lives.<span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">But the mindless forces of nature don't know us, guide us, give us dignity, nor moral incentive. Monists may follow some esteemed wise man, worship ancestors, spirits, or do as they please. There is no moral standard, no ethical incentive. Absorption is the escape from the wheel of many lives of misery. </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span></div>
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<b>What if there's only a limited God or gods? </b>Ancient peoples as the Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, believed in many gods and goddesses that evolved out of nature. Their gods are selfish, fight each other, and are limited to their particular people or domain. They really are no better than their human worshippers. There's no assurance their gods care about them or even exist. Persons may show respect for their own tribe or people but not care about others--maybe even be head hunters. So, again, people in themselves have no dignity, ultimate purpose, and death may be relief. <span style="color: blue;">It boils down to might makes right--whatever group can get the upper hand enslaves or kills those below them. </span></div>
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<b>.</b></div>
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<b>What if there's a God who created the universe, then abandoned it?</b> It's called deism and there are good reasons to believe in a Creator God (Read my articles). But does he love us, hear our prayers, guide us, and act in our world to help us. <span style="color: blue;">No! Deists claim natures laws tie his hands, so miracles are impossible, which makes such a God irrelevant and belief in him amounts to practical atheism. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><b>.</b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b> None of the views above give us a standard of behavior to say Billy mistreated Bobby. Nor do they prove what C.S. Lewis explained, that people everywhere have a common moral understanding of a real right and wrong. Now there is what is called "the natural law ethic." It is that all human beings
are born free with dignity, equality, rights to life, liberty, happiness, land ownership, and have ethical incentives.
It is supposed to be self-evident and inscribed upon the heart of every
human being. The American constitution appeals to this as its basis of government. <i>But if there is no God, no ultimate purpose to life, we are just animals waiting for the extinction of death, how, or on what basis is there to say there is any natural law giving all men dignity, equality, rights and ethical incentives?</i></b></span><br />
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<b>We must get beyond a deist God! </b>If we live, reproduce, and die,--lights out! Life doesn't seem to mean much--we're without dignity, value, and ethical incentive. What we do doesn't really matter. We feel human compassion, guilt, and shame. <u>But they don't make sense, if there's no more to life than just reproduction</u>. Now we need food, water, and sex, and what we need really exists. We too feel the need for a relationship that can give us forgiveness, acceptance, inner peace, fulness of life, hope,-- this is exactly what converts to faith in Christ say they experience. <br />
<b>. </b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Now there are three great world religions that claim there is an afterlife of rewards or punishments. That adds a new dimension to the mix. These three world religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.</span></b><br />
<b>.</b><br />
<b>Judaism (2,000 B.C. to today), </b>is presented in the Tanakh (O.T.). It records events of God's actions from creation until the Jews return to the land of Israel. It never reads like a fairy tale once upon a time, in some far off land. It discusses events we all experience in real life including our victories and failures. It mentions people, places, events known to history. A timeline can be established to events that correlate with histories in other nations. Miracles and prophecies are discussed that are established by eyewitness testimony and by martyrs. Things critics say never existed, archaeologists have uncovered with their spade. It describes people in rebellion against God and our need of a Messiah/Savior who is to come. But Israel never recognized such a Savior; its temple was destroyed and people again scattered among the nations in unbelief (A.D. 70).<br />
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<b>Christianity (First century until today),</b> picks up where Judaism left off as recorded in the New Testament. Christians claim Jesus was the Messiah/Savior and King that Israel rejected. Jesus was actually the God-man who walked among us claiming and showing he was God by fulfilling prophecies and by miracles. Yet, the people rejected him, and crucified him. Ancient prophets foretold of his life both as suffering for people's sins and as reigning as Israel's King. The final proof was that Jesus arose from the dead as he said he would. His disciples went out to establish the church and tell the world to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to receive eternal life. Jesus promised to return to judge humanity and set up the kingdom promised throughout the O.T. One day all evil will be defeated and true believers in Jesus will dwell with him forever while those who want their way, and not Jesus, have their wish in a place separate from Heaven called Hell. The infinite God is one essence in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God makes himself known to persons who really want Him and is both loving and just, justice being love shown in society as preventing evil.<br />
<b>.</b><br />
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<b>Islam (A.D. 622 until today).</b> It teaches there's only one God, Allah, and there are 124,000 prophets, but Muhammad is the seal or final one. All claims to other Gods is blasphemy (shirk). Islam is based upon Muhammad's claim that the Angel Gabriel revealed the holy book, the Qu'ran only to him alone in a cave. The Qu'ran reveals Islam's laws which can be abrogated or superseded by later laws. Like Christians, Muslims believe in angels, Heaven, and Hell. People are basically good and salvation is by doing more good deeds that bad ones, fighting for Islam, and if Allah wills. Muhammad lived centuries after the Bible, partially understood some of its teaching which didn't seem reasonable to him and claimed its teachings had been corrupted. Ethics is doing what Muhammad did and anything that promotes submission to Islam. </div>
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<b>How Then Can We Know Human Acts To Be Either Right Or Wrong? </b>Feelings of human compassion, guilt, and shame require the Golden Rule ethic, which can be understood universally. The natural law ethic is not self-evident to millions of people of no Christian belief. <u>If life is only to be born, a fight to survive, and we cease to exist in death, it isn't worth much, and ALL our desires then seem reasonable.</u>The American constitution was written by men educated in Christian schools of that time, who were active Christians in churches, and understood the love of God in Christ and the freedom, hope, and dignity it gives to humanity. Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin were deists, but still influenced by Christianity. So its a lie to represent the American constitution as the product of deists. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Biblical Christians say there is a moral standard only because a moral rational God and Legislator has made himself known to us in our conscience, in the Bible, in history, and especially in Christ. Then, everything we do counts, and we will receive our just reward when we stand before our Judge, the Lord Jesus.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>This world is not perfect and we're all sinners. The Lord Jesus will save all who trust in Him. He offers us forgiveness of sin, His love and guidance, and will reward our service and he may return anytime. We will still face human weakness and problems, but He is with us. Won't you say, "Lord Jesus, I trust you now to save me and to live in your love until I meet you when you come." So be it. Now share your new Christian faith with others.</b></span></div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-54060706902341199792015-06-30T12:46:00.001-04:002016-01-28T00:10:28.311-05:00Some Reasons People Believe in God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #660000;"> Some Reasons People Believe in God</span></h2>
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Atheists who deny a Creator and Sustainer of the universe show a terrible arrogance toward theists and especially Christians. They point to plants, animals, sky, ground and say,<b> <i>see there's no God! We're just animals who die and that's all there is!</i> </b>Christians who talk about God and an afterlife are really stupid maybe even brain dead.<b> <span style="color: blue;">But could atheists be overlooking so much that a little honest thought makes obvious? Could what they call wishful Christian thinking really show rebellious atheist arrogance, maybe even fear of giving account of their rebellious lives to God?</span></b></div>
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<b>Christians reply.</b> Honestly, if God created this material universe, wouldn't He have to exist before and apart from the matter, space, and time He created? Wouldn't God then be of an immaterial nature or spirit we normally wouldn't see? And to sustain His universe, wouldn't God have to have infinite power, be everywhere and know everything? Might it be a bit premature for atheists to claim the Almighty must show up at their command, or He doesn't exist? Do they know the Almighty couldn't show up at his appointed time and place and for his purpose unknown to them? <span style="color: blue;"><b>A</b><b>ctually, such attributes are what the Bible says and what Christians believe about God (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14).</b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b> Could atheist objections really show bias or lack clear thinking?</b></span><br />
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<b>Scientists work on the principle that every beginning thing has a cause.</b> Common sense shows from nothing, nothing comes. Nothing means no thing--no mind, no power, no force.<span style="color: blue;"><b> </b><span style="color: black;">An expanding universe points to a central beginning point. A running down universe like a clock means it was once wound up. Most scientists believe in the Big Bang which requires a beginning universe<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b><span style="color: black;"> And if time could go back into the past forever, we would never be here today<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">.<b> </b></span></span></span></span></span><b>A beginning universe then, depends on an unchangeable, self-existent eternal God as its Cause. </b></span><br />
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<b>What does the anthropic principle tell us about the universe?</b> We see such exactness of hundreds of factors working together in order for man to arrive on this planet. Such as <b>earth's just right </b>size,
molten core, this crust, climate, rotation, revolution, gravity,
chemical composition, magnetism, atmosphere, distance from sun, one moon, its size & distance,
water and right amount, place in solar system, in galaxy and well over a
hundred other exact factors.<span style="color: blue;"><b> Blind random chance</b><b> doesn't explain this, but an intelligent Creative Mind does. It seems God must have some purpose in mind for us. Could it be a personal love-trust relationship with Him?</b></span><br />
<b> ...</b><br />
<b>What does nature's order and rationality tell us?</b> Nature's orderliness shows-- means adapted to ends, birds wings are designed for flying, animal legs for walking, fish fins for swimming, eyes and ears to know surroundings. There can be no partially developed reproductive or digestive systems or limbs or organs. Take anything away and the animal perishes. <span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Moreover, geological strata show life forms completely developed and functional from outset until extinction</span><b>. </b></span> Nature shows order and rationality that our minds can understand.<span style="color: blue;"><b> Doesn't all this show Creation true and evolution myth?</b></span></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span><br />
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<b>Can blind mindless molecules select and arrange chemicals into life forms?</b> No! Animals are genetically programmad to reproduct after their own kind but in great variety. In other words, dogs birth varieties of dogs but never birth horses--its small changes in kind, but not one kind changing into another. Mutations are coping errors, usually harmful and eliminated.The genetic code within life forms shows intelligent intervention and they can't be reduced or they perish.<span style="color: blue;"><b> There form and function is complex and specified at the outset that shows a self-existing creative Mind.</b></span><br />
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<b>Life forms show a genetic alphabet of instructions</b>. The DNA molecule is a coded language of millions of cells programmed to build organs and systems of immense specified complexity that all work together in harmony. The cell is organized like a city of machines working together to maintain life in millions of unique life forms. To say nature's blind mindless forces can accomplish all this by chance is like saying red, white and blue confetti dropped from a plane a trillion times will form an American flag. <span style="color: blue;"><b>The DNA molecule is not an accident of nature, it's a cells instructions designed by the </b><b>personal intelligence and will we know as God.</b></span><br />
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<b>Moreover, aren't life forms irreducibly complex? </b>A million small steps must be shown to prove a single cell can evolve into all life forms. Fruit flies live only a few days so that many generations can be radiation tested. Such testing produced only defective fruit flies, nothing else. There are no partly evolved reproductive or digestive systems, or limps or eyes and ears. Animals are born fully functioning, or won't live. Evolution isn't proven by extinct dinosaurs and monkey skulls. Artists drawings of the evolutionary tree is a gap theory without transitional links. Their pictures of a knuckle-walking monkey evolving into an upright man shows the theory can be pictured when the evidence can't be found. Died out life forms only prove they were not adoptable. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Huge gaps exist between life forms that are irreducibly complex. Now, doesn't this imply a Common Creator rather than a common ancestor? </b></span></div>
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<b> Atheists claim science and reason prove evolution and disprove religion. </b>But if the universe evolved by <u><i>chance</i></u> and our ancestors by<i> <u>accident</u></i> from monkeys and perhaps rodents and roaches,<b><i> how then can we have confidence that we are rational. </i></b>Different sciences use different methods, physical sciences differ from social sciences. Science has nothing to say about crucial fields of history, law, aesthetics, and ethics. Science assumes that the external world exists, is orderly, knowable, uniform, that our minds and senses are reliable, numbers exist, the laws of logic work, and that truth exists and can be known. Evolutionary scientists devise new explanations to replace disproven ones. <span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Scientists in all fields differ among themselves.</span><b> Its hard to see where evolutionary science has the last word. And if all is an accident of chance, how can we trust human reason? </b></span><br />
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<b> World religions are based upon the thinking, beliefs and teachings of some admired wise man.</b> They present conflicting ideas about god, the world's problems, salvation by what they mean by good deeds, and their speculations about the afterlife. What few writings we have of the founders beliefs is usually dated centuries after their deaths which makes them uncertain. They don't give evidence of anything beyond their founders valued philosophy of life. <span style="color: blue;"><b>But details of Jesus' life were predicted centuries before about his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, death for us sinners, and resurrection. They were published during the lifetime of persons who knew him. </b><span style="color: black;">(For more explanation, see my other articles.)</span><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b> </b></span>.<br />
<b>Bible Christianity tells of a God who acts in our world.</b> The Bible is said to record the actions of a real God who acts in our real world. It tells about the world from creation to recreation. It names kings, priests, cities, wars, and dates events archaeologists can correlate with statements of other nations and times to know such things existed. Bible events do not read like fairy tales, but like real people act in the real world with all their problems, evils, joys and sufferings. It's embarrassing that Bible heroes failed so often and so bad, but it's evidence that truth was more important than fiction. Unlike other holy books, the Bible records hundreds of predictions and miracles eyewitness knew were true, even affirming with their life's blood. Persons, places, and events critics denied existed, have been dug up from the ground. God showed His awesome presence in many ways from Genesis to Revelation. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Could it be that the real reason atheists reject their Creator, ridicule His people, and ignore its evidence is that they don't want God to interfer with their selfish desires?</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">Atheism has no higher authority than limited, conflicting, human opinions.</span> </b></span>Life without God ending in death destroys the basis for human dignity, ethics, freedom, love, justice, a rational purposeful world, absolute truth, empirical science, and hope for life after death.<span style="color: blue;"><b> </b><span style="color: black;">Atheists as Satre, Camus, and Russell admit this, but were inconsistently passionate about ethica<span style="color: blue;">l</span> issues<span style="color: blue;">.</span> Richard Dawkins, for example, <span style="color: blue;">v</span>igorously condemns harassment of homesexuals, and religious education of children. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Atheism is </b></span></span><b>a philosophy of despair that when followed leads to hatred, chaos, warfare, and self-destruction of individuals, homes, and nations. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Biblical Christianity gives good reasons that Jesus is the God-man who walked among us, died to save us, arose from the dead to prove all He told us was God's truth and our only hope.</b></span> Jesus <span style="color: #38761d;"><b>said, "The thief's purpose is to steal, and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life" (John 10:10). Dear reader, won't you say, Lord, Jesus, I'm a sinner, but I don't want eternal separation from the holy pure love-life You give. I surrender my life to you now forever. I trust you from this point on as my Lord and Savior. Now I'll share these articles and get with God's people in proof that I mean it. Thank you for giving me eternal life.</b></span><br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-7914012186928119812015-06-20T10:36:00.000-04:002016-01-28T00:12:56.381-05:00What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b> What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?</b></span></h2>
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Jehovah's Witnesses in some ways put most Christians to shame. They are often more knowledgeable and better trained in answering questions and defending their faith. They meet in Kingdom Halls rather than Churches and are earnest in Bible studies. They are zealous in presenting their faith even engaging people door-to-door. They're sometimes called the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, but better known as Jehovah's Witnesses. I will briefly discuss their founders, key writings, beliefs about God, how to be saved, what happens after death, and other interesting beliefs and practices in contrast to biblical Christian teachings. Then I will make some Christian comments.</div>
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<b>Their Founders</b>. The original founders were Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) and later Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942). with headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. They were business men, not Bible trained, church ordained, didn't believe many Bible teachings they felt unreasonable, and they control their followers thinking.<span style="color: blue;"><b> So they ignore or distort Bible passages they don't agree with and have developed their own religion of Bible interpretations which have spread to millions worldwide. They are one of the world's largest publishers.</b></span></div>
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In contrast, Biblical Christianity began with the resurrection of Jesus (A.D. 30-33) who claimed he was the Son of God and the Jews Messiah. At the same time, Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, performed many miracles, died to save sinners, arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven before hundreds of witnesses. Many died to testify to this truth. And yes, Bible teachings may seem unreasonable,<i> but only if </i>you don't or won't accept a just and loving, sovereign Creator, Sustainer, and rightful Judge and Authority over the universe and humanity. <span style="color: blue;"><b>All these things are discussed in my other articles.</b></span></div>
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<b>Their key writings. </b>The only Bible JW accept is their own <i>New World Translation. </i>Their<i> o</i>ther real authoritative writings are <i>Reasoning from the Scriptures, You Can live Forever in Paradise on Earth, </i>and the <i>Watchtower</i> and <i>Awake!</i> magazines. <span style="color: blue;"><b>While they claim to follow the Bible, their other writings are their real authorities and they won't allow anyone in their organization to disagree or question their teachings.</b></span></div>
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<b>.</b></div>
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It's unknown who produced their<i> New World Translation</i>, but scholars who know the original Hebrew and Greek languages say their<i> New World Translation</i> isn't correctly translated, and that they differ and distort passages that show Christian beliefs. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Christians believe that is putting human opinion over God's inspired and proven revelation.</b></span> <span style="color: blue;"><b>Further, when Hebrew and Greek authorities say their <i>New World Translation</i> is incorrect; how can JW feel honest to use it for their teaching?</b></span></div>
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<b>Their beliefs about God. </b>Among the teachings Jehovah's Witnesses deny are: the trinity, deity of Christ, his bodily resurrection, visible return, the Holy Spirit as God, God's promise of heaven for believers, their eternal security, and conscious eternal punishment of God-rejectors in Hell.</div>
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All these teaching they deny are clearly taught many times in the Bible, and have been challenged ever since Jesus arose from the dead. There are so many evidences that support Bible teachings, but the Bibles God of love doesn't force himself on us. And being in his image and likeness is what gives us our dignity, freedom, ethics, love, justice, absolute authoritative truth, assurance of life after death, and his Word, the Bible is the basis for it all. <span style="color: blue;"><b>No other world religion, worldview, or system of beliefs can compare with it.</b></span> </div>
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<b>.</b></div>
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<b>Their way to be saved. </b>If God Created the universe, then it's reasonable he has infinite knowledge and wisdom making ours almost nothing (Isa. 40:13-14; 55:8-9). We show arrogance to think God must agree with our limited thinking. If God is perfect, then our thoughts, words, deeds can never measure up. The Bible is clear, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8-10). We can't achieve perfection to earn salvation nor erase our sins against God. Therefore, door-to-door telling people our beliefs won't make us fit for a perfect Heaven or earth. <b>That's why,<span style="color: blue;"> "God made Christ who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ" (2 Cor. 5:21 NLT; </span></b><span style="color: blue;"><b>Also see Eph. 2:8-10; John 3:16-21; Acts 16:31.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>. </b></span></div>
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<b>Their beliefs about after death.</b> Since JW taught so openly that only 144,000 persons will go to heaven, when their numbers exceeded that, they had to say the others will live on earth. They deny the Bible teaching of Hell and say unbelievers will be annihilated..</div>
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But every time throughout the Bible the twelve tribes of Israel are mentioned, that's exactly what they were (Revelation 7), not JW that came into being centuries later when more persons became JW (Rev. 14). The loving Jesus mentioned Hell more than Heaven as a real conscious place of punishment. Jesus, being the God-man, is the one person absolutely certain. He cared enough to warn us of the truth. In Matthew 25:46, Jesus said conscious punishment of God-rejections is as real and long as eternal life is for the righteous.<span style="color: blue;"><b> Are we to believe Jesus lied or meant to deceive us?</b></span></div>
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<b>.</b></div>
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<b>Their other interesting beliefs and practices.</b> They do not observe holidays or birthdays. They don't accept blood transfusions since we're commanded not to eat blood in Leviticus 17: 13-14. They are forbidden to vote, salute the flag, or work in the military since it's idolatry to show allegiance to any government except Jehovah's Kingdom. But Romans 13;1-7 and 1 Pet. 2:13-14 says to submit to governments since governments are ordained of God to keep peace and punish evil doers. <span style="color: blue;"><b> Shouldn't we be sure of what the Bible really teaches?</b></span> </div>
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<b>Christian comments. </b>The Bible nowhere says that Jesus was Jehovah's first created being, was Michael, the archangel before his incarnation, and or Jesus died on a stake, not a cross. It doesn't say the Holy Spirit is a force from Jehovah, or that door-to-door engagements earns the way to heaven. JW firmly believe that Revelation 1:8 & Rev. 21:5-7 describe Jehovah God. But that same description describes Jesus in Rev. 1:17-18.<span style="color: blue;"><b> JW are correct that the Latin term "trinity" is not mentioned the Bible, but it is taught in the Bible. It's no different than JW use the term "theocratic kingdom" in their literature that's not mentioned in the Bible.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span><br />
Founder Russell predicted Christ would return in 1874, but when Jesus didn't show up, he recalculated the date 1914. When he didn't return then, Russell said he came to earth as a spirit. Founder Rutherford predicted Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would return to earth to promote the Kingdom of God between 1925-1929. He even built them a mansion in San Diego, California.<span style="color: blue;"><b> But when they failed to show up, he moved into the mansion for himself.</b></span><br />
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To set the record straight, carefully compare these verses<u> in your Bible</u> with JW <i>New World Translation</i> to see their many distortions: Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Micah 5:2; John 1:1; 8:58; Philippians 2:11; Colossians 1:16; 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:3, 8. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Remember language experts don't agree with unknown JW translators.</b></span><br />
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<b>"How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?</b><span style="color: blue;"> If the prophet speaks in the Lord's name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared (Deut. 18:21-22) </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>In the beginning the Word already existed, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. "Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me" (John 1:1; 14; 14:6 NLT).</b><b> Only believe, love, and follow.</b></span><br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-89814410680603600302015-06-06T10:44:00.000-04:002016-01-28T00:14:45.962-05:00Will Jesus Reign Over Earth A Thousand Years?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b> Will Jesus Reign Over Earth A Thousand Years?</b></span></h2>
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">Postmillennial Christians say the church will win the world to Christ in an indefinite period, maybe a 1,000 years and then Jesus will return. Amillennial Christians say there is no literal millennium, and Revelation 20:1-6 just means that Jesus reigns in the hearts of those who trust in Him.</span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b> </b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>I love and respect my brothers in Christ, but all the Bible's unfulfilled prophecies about the Messiah must be fulfilled according to a holy God who cannot lie or deceive us. Check out God's promises.</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">Premillenialists, like myself, reason that since all the Bible predictions about Jesus' first coming--his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, death for sinners, resurrection, and ascension were literally fulfilled exactly as stated, then what all the prophets and apostles said about His second coming to earth to reign as its King should literally be fulfilled exactly as stated. But before the 1,000 years the Church will be raptured (1 Thess. 4:16-5:3), and then there will be tribulation unknown since the world began (Rev. 4-19). Both Jesus (Matt. 24:21), and John said so (Rev. 3:10). <span style="color: blue;"><b>Examine what the Bible actually says.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>. </b></span></span><b> </b></span></div>
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<b>God made an unconditional land grant to Abraham and his descendants.</b> He gave the land from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River then occupied by pagan tribes (Gen. 15:17-21). But Israel has never fully occupied that land, not in Joshua's day, David's time, or even today. <b><span style="color: blue;">And God said His promises are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29).</span></b><br />
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<b>God promised King David He will have a descendant upon his thrown forever.<i>"</i></b>Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever (2 Samuel 7:16). And in Psalm 89:35 we read: "I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie: His dynasty will go on forever; his kingdom will endure as the sun. It will be as eternal as the moon, my faithful witness in the sky." <span style="color: blue;"><b>Israel will one day occupy all the land God promised. It just became a nation again since A.D. 70 fulfilling many prophecies.</b></span><br />
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<b>The Tanakh (Old Testament) ends with Israel expecting the Messianic Kingdom. </b>We read in Malachi 3:1 "Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. <span style="color: blue;"><b>The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming says the Lord of Heaven's Armies." See also Isa. 9:6-7; 16:5. </b></span><br />
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<b>John the Baptizer and others offered Israel the Messiah-King Matt. 3:1-2</b>. Jesus offered the kingdom when he said, "Repent for the kingdom is near. "(4:17). The Twelve Jesus sent out offered the kingdom (10:5-7). But the chosen nation of Israel rejected their King and His kingdom offered to them. "He (Jesus) came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn--not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God (John 1:10-12 NLT). Have you rejected him too? You are now invited to humbly admit your wrong doing and trust in his forgiveness, cleansing, new and eternal life.<span style="color: blue;"><b> Greater love has no one but Jesus, who took the punishment of our sin in his death for us on the cross. </b></span>See the movie, The Passion of Christ.<br />
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<b>Israel's rejection only meant a delay in order that the Gentiles may be offered salvation.</b> God intended Israel to be his ambassadors to the Gentiles--but they became proud despisers of them instead. Christ then instituted instead a spiritual kingdom (the Church) until he returns to earth and Israel will then accept their king. "Jesus replied, I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:28).See also Rom. 11:11ff: <br />
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<b>The next verse is his promise to believers today-<span style="color: blue;">-"And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.</span></b> <span style="color: blue;"><b>But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then" (Matt. 19:30). </b><b>CAN ANY PROMISES IN THE WORLD BE GREATER THAN THESE?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">The Jewish people will come to believe in Christ a<span style="color: blue;">s<span style="color: black;"> their King and fulfill all God's promises. </span></span></span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Just prior to his ascension, the apostles kept asking Jesus, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" They understood the promises above and were wondering when the kingdom would come and they would reign with him on twelve thrones. Jesus replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you. And you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:7-8). <span style="color: blue;"><b> So we are to be witnesses to the grace and glory of our Savior and God, the Lord Jesus, until he returns to take us to Him--Heaven (John 14:1-3). </b></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">Jesus, the Messiah, will return</span><span style="color: black;"> <span style="color: blue;">to</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> fight for Israel, (called Armageddon) and then establish his 1,000 year worldwide </span></span>rule.</span></b><span style="color: black;"> We are in the very last days and Jesus' coming is described. "<span style="color: blue;">O</span>n that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem. Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past" (Zechariah 14:3) . </span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Are you ready for the Lord's return? <span style="color: #6aa84f;">Are you living for him and telling others about his love, justice, and saving grace? With the computer we have the greates<span style="color: #38761d;">t</span> opportunity in the world. Read these gospel articles, pray for God to use them, and send them every way you can and have great treasures in Heaven until Jesus comes for us. God bless.</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>.. </b></span></span></span> </div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-12477846687479922442015-05-29T11:35:00.001-04:002016-01-28T00:15:41.260-05:00What is the Way to God and Heaven?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b> What is the Way to God and Heaven?</b></span></h2>
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Persons have different ideas about God and heaven. Some think God is all love so everybody will go to heaven. Others believe ideas of God and heaven are only a comforting escape from reality. They see only the sky, trees, animals, and people that die, so, that's all there is to life. For many people, it seems so logical that if there's a good God and good heaven, then the way to both is simple--be good. Christians believe a Creator God made us limited, but moral, rational persons like himself to live in an eternally happy world in relationship with him.<span style="color: blue;"> <b>This article explains the Christian biblical teaching about the Christian way to God and heaven. Please give it your honest open-minded consideration. Thank you. </b></span><br />
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First, it's a fact that nothing produces nothing, and the universe is running down. So, unless the universe created itself, which is logically impossible, then matter, energy, intelligence, and will must have a source. That source must be an eternal, self-existent, immaterial, unchanging, and a powerfully creative mind. <span style="color: blue;"><b>And, that is so much like what the Bible describes as God.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span><br />
Life too points to an infinite creative intelligence and will. For example, the hen must be fertilized by a rooster and have the chemical ovacleidin 17 for the shell to form. Hens must sit on their eggs 21 days and turn them over several times a day to keep the right temperature for them to hatch. Living things don't pop into being without a cause and they are genetically programmed to produce offspring after their own kind. Don't believe artists drawings of monkeys turning into men. No scientific experiment and no bones in a museum proves it. Mutations are harmful defeats usually eliminated and that don't aid in survival.<br />
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<b>The crucial question we humans should ask is this: does our Creator God care about us and has he acted in our world in ways we can understand?</b> Now if this great Creative Spirit really loves us and wants us to know about him, wouldn't he have to do impossible things to get our attention and for us to know God is Lord of nature? <span style="color: blue;"><b>What if someone walked on water, cured obvious ailments and diseases instantly, stopped storms, and raised the dead, just by speaking a word and all the while claim he was God? Isn't that what it would take.That's what Jesus did and his disciples gave their lives in testimony that it's the truth.</b></span><br />
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<b>Again, what if persons in the name of God predicted things impossible for us to know that really took place exactly as they said.</b> Throughout the Bible we have such future events predicted sometimes centuries before they occur. All the events of Jesus first coming were fulfilled exactly as predicted--Jesus' virgin birth, sinless life, death for sinners, resurrection, Ascension into heaven, and all the while Jesus asked people to believe he was God's Son. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Nothing like this is said of any other founder of any world religion. Would this again show us what Jesus said is the truth? </b></span><br />
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"Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). His apostle Peter said, "There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). His apostle John said, "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The Bible teaches simple faith in Christ alone as our sin bearer has been taught since the days of Jesus, Peter, John, and Paul until today. But human pride always tries to modify it in some way. </div>
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<b>People say faith in Jesus is to easy, we must perform some kind of good deed such as baptism, joining a church, keeping certain of God's laws.</b> <span style="color: #990000;"><b>Stop and think!</b></span> We human beings lie, steal, cheat, hate, abuse each other and sometimes murder. Have you ever done such things? How many times? If we're honest, we would have to admit more times than we can count. Do you seriously think we would do any different in Heaven than we do here and that our sins don't matter to God? <span style="color: blue;"><b>Just joining a church, getting baptised, trying to be real good and to keep God's laws even if we knew what they are is not going to make us perfect people worthy of Heaven.</b></span><br />
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<b>What about trying God's plan of salvation? It's not what we do, but believing what God has done for us.</b> God knows that we can't be perfect in ourselves, that our natural tendency is to always want our way over His way, that no good thing we could do could erase or cover all the bad things we do, and that evil must be justly punished, not excused or approved<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ <i>(the anointed/Messiah</i>) to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God" (Romans 58-11, NLT). Just pray, God, I trust Your Son Jesus dying to pay for my sins on the cross and to be my Lord forever. Amen (So be it).</b></span></div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-31032860028086029452015-04-29T20:12:00.001-04:002016-01-28T00:19:29.018-05:00Did Jesus Fulfill Prophecies of the Jewish Messiah?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b> Did Jesus Fulfill Prophecies of the Jewish Messiah?</b></span></h2>
Several persons have claimed to be the Jewish Messiah. So a mere claim doesn't mean anything. The question is<b>:</b> what does the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) say about the Messiah? Does it give identifying descriptions of the Messiah that people could recognize him when he appeared? And did it describe what the New Testament says about Jesus? <br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span></div>
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<b>What is required to confirm an actual fulfillment of a Bible Prophecy? </b>The prophet's prediction made in the name of the Lord must come true as predicted, otherwise he is a false prophet. Short term predictions fulfilled during the time of persons living then confirmed a prophet as a true representative of God. For example, Samuel predicted twenty things that confirmed himself as a prophet and Saul's kingship that very day (1 Samuel 10:1-9). And later prophets must agree with former prophets known to be of God. In this way people living then and later can know the true prophets and believe their predictions. Consider Daniel's predictions 536 B.C. of the four world kingdoms. The fifth world kingdom is Messiah's rule and predictions pointing to it are converging in our day (Daniel 2:4b-7:28; 9:24-25, 69 weeks). <br />
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<b>Does what is said in the Tanakh of the Jew's Messiah point to Jesus?</b> Understand this, there are 400 years between Malachi and Matthew, other prophets
even centuries earlier. The Dead Sea scrolls contain portions of all the books of the Tanakh except Esther written 200 years before Jesus. They have been compared with modern manuscripts and shown to agree almost letter for letter. Most of the differences being merely in the spelling of names. <span style="color: blue;">Now let's give an honest examination of the centuries between what the Tanakh says and what the Christian New Testament says about the Messiah showing whether he could be Jesus.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">. </span></div>
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.<b>What are the signs the Jews were to look for to identify the coming Messiah?</b> He is to be <b>born in Bethlehem of Judea</b>, Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:1;<b> the seed of a woman</b>, Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4; 1 Jn. 3:8; <b>a descendant of David</b>, Jer. 23:5; Rom. 1:3-4;<b> announced by a forerunner</b>, Malachi 3:1; Luke 1:17; John 1:29; <b>to perform miracles</b>, Isa. 35:5-6; Matt. 11:4-6;<b> to enter Jerusalem as king on a donkey, exact day predicted, </b>Zech. 9:9; Matt. 21:5; Daniel 9:20-27; <b>to be acclaimed King of Jews,</b> Ps. 2:6; John 18;3-37;<b> be betrayed by a friend</b>, Ps 41:9; John 13:18-21; <b>sold for 30 pieces of silver, </b>Zech. 11:12; Matt. 26:15;<b> rejected by Israel,</b> Isa. 8:14<b>;</b> Luke. 2:34<b>; his hands & feet pierced,</b> Ps. 22:16<b>; </b>John. 20:25;<b> disciples forsake him</b>, Zech. 13; Matt. 26:56; <b>to die for sinners, </b>Isa 53:4-6, 10-12; Matt. 20:28;<b> have no bones broken,</b> Ps. 34:20; Jn. 19:36<b>; cast lots for his clothes; </b>Ps. 22:18; Mark 15;24; <b>grave with the rich </b>Isa. 53:9; Matt. 27:57-60;<b> raised from death </b>Ps. 16:10; Acts 2:25-28;<b> ascend into heaven</b>, Ps. 68:18; Luke 24:51. <span style="color: blue;">Most of Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 speaks of the Messiah and his suffering for the sins of the people. It describes crucifixion centuries before it was the means of Roman execution. And there are easily a hundred more fulfilled facts we didn't mention.</span><br />
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No one could guess or artificially fulfill these Tanakh predictions of Israel's Messiah. Chances against their fulfillment in one person are impossible. God make these things known to his prophets centuries before and brought them about. And no one after Jesus can claim to be the Messiah because Israel's birth records were destroyed with Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans in A.D. 70.<b> </b><b><span style="color: blue;">No one but Jesus can show his descent from Abraham and David giving him right to be Israel's King (Matthew 1; Luke 3:23-38)</span>.</b><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Why then did the religious leaders of Jesus' day ignore predictions of the Messiah as the Suffering Servant? Because they only cared about the Reigning King Messiah to overthrow Rome's suppressive rule and they were envious of Jesus taking their place (Mark 15:10; John 11:48).</span></div>
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<b>What predictions did Jesus make demonstrating his deity and Messiah ship?</b> There are 5,700 Greek N.T. manuscripts which show a thousand times more
documentation than the few copies of the works of Aristotle, Plato, and the ancient classics dated centuries later. What man could make such predictions as the following? <span style="color: blue;">These are real historical events, not made up stories as critics like to have us believe.</span><br />
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<b>Jesus predicted this of himself and his followers.</b> His apostles will be persecuted (Matt.10:17-23). All but John would be martyred for their faith (John 21:18). Jesus said he would die and rise three days later (Matt. 12:40). Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed (Matt. 24:22). Judas would betray him (Matt. 26:24). Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed (Matt. 26:24). His disciples would flee at his death (Matt. 26:31). Lazarus would be raised from the dead (John 11:4-40). The disciples who fished all night and caught nothing would catch fish on the other side of the boat (John 21:6). <span style="color: blue;"><b>Who but God could know such things? And the Jews knew Jesus claimed to be God accusing him of blasphemy (Matt. 26:62-65; Luke 22:66-71; John 10:36).</b></span><br />
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<b>Now did Jesus predict things future in his day that would occur from his time until today? YES! </b>His church will never be destroyed (Matt. 16:18). Enemies from his day until today have tried, but it still exists. The Word of God will abide forever (Matt 5:18). Bible burners and critics try to destroy it, but it's the world's best seller. The twelve apostles will reign with Jesus over the tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28). The Jews rejection of Jesus brings the Gentiles into his kingdom (Rom. 11:11-12, 25) .Christ may return anytime with his angels to reward his followers (Matt. 16:27). <span style="color: blue;"><b> Are you a follower of Jesus Messiah (Matt. 25:13)? </b></span><br />
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<b>This is Jesus' most serious prediction, warning, invitation.<span style="color: #38761d;"> He made us for loving trusting fulfilling eternal relationship with Him. But love doesn't force, it invites. To reject Jesus Messiah is to choose outer darkness alone from the light and truth of God forever. </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Dear friend, won't you say, "I trust you Lord Jesus as my Messiah and Lord to take away my rebellion, guilt, and shame, and replace them with your love, forgiveness, purity and peace from this day and forever. I receive you as my God, Savior, Messiah, Lord. Thank You and praise You Lord Jesus, my Messiah and King (John 3:16-21; 14:6) .</span></b><br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-29848859537935215912015-04-13T12:36:00.000-04:002016-01-28T00:12:11.944-05:00Can You Prove Jesus' Resurrection Is Only Fabrication?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b> Can You Prove Jesus' Resurrection Is Only Fabrication?</b></span></h2>
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">Most persons dismiss it as a made-up ridiculous, impossible story. After all, how many cold stiff corpses have we seen arise from the dead? Such a miracle would be contrary to natural law. No scientific experiment has established such a thing. It must be a mistake or myth since the Bible has been translated multiple times and into many languages. But New Testament writers claim Bible Christianity stands or falls on it being fact (1 Corinthians 15:13-19). <span style="color: blue;">If true, it's implications couldn't be more crucial to humanity. So let's give the Christian claim our honest thoughtful consideration.</span></span><span style="color: blue;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span></div>
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<b>There can be no doubt Jesus died by crucifixion on the cross.</b> In his trials, before both Roman and Jewish courts, he likely was deprived of food, drink, and sleep. The scourging was severe, tearing away his flesh. Some died from that alone. But also there was his carrying the cross in exhaustion, loss of blood from the crown of thorns to the nails in his feet. And His cry, "Father into your hands I commit my Spirit." The separation of water and blood from the spear piercing his side was conclusive proof. The soldiers trained in execution procedures didn't break his leg, for they knew he was already dead. Jesus' mother and disciple John stood by in grief witnessing his death. The soldiers gambled for his garments and took his naked body from the cross and later gave it to the rich man, Joseph of Arimathaea, for burial in his stone tomb just outside Jerusalem. <span style="color: blue;">This was a sad day for Jesus' disciples thinking he was Messiah and King of Israel.</span></div>
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<b>The Jews and Romans in Jerusalem took steps to prevent any kind of deception about Jesus' claim to resurrection. "</b>The leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told Him, 'Sir, we remember that deceiver once said while he was still alive. After three days I will rise from the dead. So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we'll be worse off than we were at first. Pilate replied, Take guards and secure it the best you can." So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it?" (Matt. 27:62-65).<span style="color: blue;"> <b>Their precautions are actually what God used to demonstrate the resurrection of Jesus was an indisputable fact.</b></span></div>
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<b>The news about Jesus' death and resurrection was made known shortly after their supposed occurrence. </b> Dr. Luke, the companion of the apostle Paul, who wrote his earlier gospel now writes about the first 30 years of the church. He says of Jesus, "During the forty days after his crucifixion, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3).<br />
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On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached, "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip" (Acts 2:22-23). <span style="color: blue;"><b>Peter preached this on Pentecost 50 days after Jesus' resurrection before people from surrounding nations.</b> </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"> .</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Anyone could investigate Jesus' tomb just outside the city. The disciples who in fear had been locked in the upper room now were joyously telling everyone--He's alive! He's Alive! And how could the religious leaders who plotted Jesus' death explain that at his death the earthquake, the darkness, the thick temple curtain torn from top to bottom, and the dead persons that came into the city (Matt. 27:51-54)? Five thousand men plus women and children became believers.</span><br />
<b> </b><span style="color: blue;"></span><b>.</b><br />
The Apostle Peter wrote (2 Peter 1:16). "We are not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes." Peter was referring to Jesus' transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-6.<span style="color: blue;"> Tradition says Peter didn't think he was worthy to be crucified as his Lord and requested to be crucified upside down.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">In Acts 3:4 Peter healed a lame temple beggar and preached in the name of Jesus who the nation's leaders crucified<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> and who God according to plan, raised from the dead. And that the people should turn from their sins to trust in Jesus who they crucified, but God raised from the dead. Peter said there was no one else God has given under heaven by which we must be saved. The high Jewish council put Peter and John in jail and commanded them never to preach Jesus and his resurrection. But they replied, </span><b>"Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard"</b></span> </span></span><br />
.<br />
Apostle John wrote (1 John. 1:1-4). "We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. <span style="color: blue;"><b>We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy." </b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"> .</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">This is not some religious man's opinions about what
god is and can or cannot do (Acts 14:12-15), or what some politically correct politician thinks (Acts 26:8), or someone's claim an angel he alone saw,
told me so (Gal. 1:8), or what some centuries later critic removed from
the scene can believe (Col. 2:8). </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>This is citing real historical events only</b></span><b> historical eyewitness testimony can establish.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;"> What is real serious is what God says about it<span style="color: blue;">! </span> Acts 17:30-31 says "</span></b><span style="color: black;">God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he command everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead."<b> </b></span></span><br />
.<br />
Apostle Paul wrote (1 Cor. 15:3-6 About A.D. 55). "I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles<span style="color: blue;">. The apostles spoke before hostile witnesses who admitted they couldn't deny the events.</span><br />
.<br />
Many of the hymns and creeds used by the first Christians are incorporated into the New Testament letters. Check out these Rom. 1:3-4; Phil. 2:6-11; Col. 1:15-18; 1 Tim.3:16; 2 Tim. 2:8; 1 Pet. 3:18-22; 1 Jn. 4:2. Moreover, there are 5,700 early Greek manuscripts used to make modern translations, plus writings of the church fathers. This documented sources for the classic writings as of Plato, Aristotle, Caesar are only a few copies dated a 1,000 years after the time. Nor is Jesus' resurrection related to myths about about crops coming to life in the spring. Jews of Jesus' time believed in one ethical Creator God, not the pagan myths that came into prominence after his time.<span style="color: blue;"><b> It seems the reason we sinners deny Jesus' death for our sins and his resurrection is that we think our sinful desires more important to us than the invitation of a loving, all-knowing God to save us from our deceptive, destructive beliefs and behavior. </b></span><br />
.</div>
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<b>Modern critics have tried to explain away the records but utterly failed. </b>No we haven't seen any cold
stiff corpses arise from the dead. But the only reason it would be
impossible is if we assume no Creator of the universe and life exists
who can raise the dead. Jesus' death and resurrection was in God's time, and not to be a daily affair (Gal. 4:4-5). And yes, it is contrary to natural law, but
again if a God exists who upholds natural law, this would be His
purpose and proof it is so. Scientific experiments are not the means of
proving or disproving historical events. <span style="color: blue;">Documented eyewitness testimony is the means to do that. Remember too, the apostles were astonished even though Jesus told them many times he would die and rise again after three days. The first Christians were monothestic Jews who were willing to die in testimony it was true. Their traditional belief would condemn them to hell. But the religious leaders of Jesus' day had vested interests and plotted to murder Jesus even though they knew he raised Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:45-53).</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">What can we conclude from all this? </span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>(1)</b></span> Jesus claimed to be God many times and ways and his resurrection from the dead, in fact showed his claims and teaching are the truth and authority of God.<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b> (2)</b></span> Jesus then is in fact the long awaited Jews Messiah, and the Savior of all who will believe, trust, depend on him for life eternal with God. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b> (3)</b></span> Jesus said this to the human world facing the darkness of death and Hell, "I Am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die.<span style="color: blue;"><b> Do you believe this . . . ?</b></span>" John 11:25-26)</span></span><br />
.<br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">To seal assurance of your faith and avoid future doubts. Pray, Lord God, I'm a sinner ashamed of many things I have done that I know are wrong. But you promised me eternal life and to be with me and be my Guide in Godly living. I depend on you from now on throughout life and until you come for me or I die and go to you. Thank you Lord for making me your adopted child. See 1 John 5:11-13. You can now win others to our Lord by sharing these important articles WWW. God bless you to bear spiritual fruit (Jn. 15 )</span></b> <b><span style="color: #38761d;">& people fruit (Matt. 4:19). </span></b></div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-16263551230830360552015-04-06T09:42:00.000-04:002016-01-28T00:20:03.757-05:00Christian's Persecuter Becomes Christ's Preacher!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b> <span style="color: #0b5394;"> <span style="color: #990000;"> Christian's Persecutor Becomes Christ's Preacher! </span></span></b></h2>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><b>What kind of believer are you?</b> Are you a weak, shallow believer, or an intense, aggressive one? Are your beliefs inherited, passed on from your family and friends, and never questioned or thought through, or are they born of experience and of honest intense thought and conviction? Are your beliefs something you live by and would die for? Can you give evidence to substantiate them? Consider the amazing transformation that made Pharisee Saul of Tarsus into Paul, an Apostle or One Send by Christ.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #990000;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<b>First, consider Saul of Tarsus--</b><b>the Persecutor of Christians. </b>As a Pharisee, educated under Gamaliel, and a Roman citizen, Saul had every advantage of becoming a great leader of his people.<br />
. <br />
<b>Consider Saul as persecutor.</b> After reciting Israel's history, to the Jew's governing council, Stephen, a man controlled by the Holy Spirit, accused them of disobeying God's law, persecuting the prophets and murdering their Righteous Messiah. They shook their fists at him in rage. "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God and he saw Jesus standing in place of honor at God's right hand. They put their hands over their ears . . . and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. He shouted, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin! And with that, he died. <span style="color: blue;">His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul" (Acts 7 & especially 52-59; </span><span style="color: blue;">Life Application Study Bible, NLT).</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">. </span><br />
"A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning). But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. <span style="color: blue;">But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went." (Acts 8:1-4). </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">. </span><br />
"Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the
Lord's followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters
addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in
the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there.<span style="color: blue;"> He wanted to bring them--both men and women--back to Jerusalem in chains" (Acts 9:1-2)</span> .<br />
. <br />
<b>Consider Saul's amazing conversion. "</b>As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him. 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?' "Who are you, lord? Saul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."<br />
.<br />
The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone's voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions let him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.<br />
.<br />
Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias" "Yes, Lord" he replied. The Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again."<br />
.<br />
"But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name." But the Lord said, "Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. <span style="color: blue;">And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake" (Acts 9:3-13; see also 26:1-24).</span><br />
.<br />
<b>Consider Saul's elitist Jewish credentials.</b> "I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin--a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. <span style="color: blue;">Now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. <b>Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. (Phil. 3:5-7).</b></span><br />
.<b> </b> </div>
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<b>Now consider Paul, as the Apostle of Christ.</b> As a preacher of Christ, Saul used the name Paul and gave up his great opportunity and favor with his people. Like Moses, he turned his back and never looked back. Oh, what he had to endure for Christ and Christians as one sent to the Gentiles!<br />
. <br />
<b>Consider what Paul endured as Christ's preacher.</b> Let me summarize how Paul reluctantly defends himself against false apostles in the Corinthian church. He worked harder--Jews lashed him five times with 39 stripes, three times beaten with rods, once stoned, three times shipwrecked, day and night drifted at sea, faced dangers from rivers and robbers, dangers in cities, deserts, and seas, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, and cold besides his burden for all the churches (2 Cor. 11:23-27).<span style="color: blue;"> It seems God kept him alive and encouraged him with a vision of Heaven perhaps when stoned. But God allowed a demon to be a thorn in his flesh to keep him humble (2 Cor. 12:1-9). </span><br />
.<br />
<b>What Can We Conclude from all this?<span style="color: #990000;"> (1)</span></b> Unlike the critics claims, all these details of names, places, conditions read like real historical events that launched the Christian church. See also 1 Cor. 15:1-10; Luke 1:1-4; 2 Pet. 1:16).<span style="color: #990000;"> <b>(2)</b></span><span style="color: magenta;"><b> </b></span>Christianity is based upon a real God who speaks and acts through His willing servants in our world.<span style="color: magenta;"><b> <span style="color: #990000;">(3)</span></b></span> Unlike Freud's claim that God is only the illusion of a Father's comfort and protection, Paul knew his God was real and showed it in everyday life. Christian families thrown to the lions in Caesars coliseum didn't know God as just an illusion.<span style="color: #990000;"> <b>(4)</b></span> Paul said, if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. . . . I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better (Phil. 1:22).<b><span style="color: blue;"> How is it with YOU?</span></b><br />
.<br />
<b>What do you live for? Fame, wealth, family, entertainment, achievements? Won't death take them all away from you? Further, the Bible doesn't say how long we will live or that we won't have troubles (Rom. 8). But it does say God loves us even as imperfect, selfish, rebellious, sinners. And, God can transform us now, and take us to Heaven after death. A loving God respects our dignity and freedom of choice. We can have our way till the very end and go without God to abide in eternal darkness (John 3:16--21; 2 Thess. 2:13). Please don't let Satan steal, kill, and destroy the rich and satisfying life God is offering you right now (John 10:10).</b><br />
.<br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Won't you say, Lord Jesus, I've lived for myself and my desires. But I now realize your way of truth, love, and goodness is best for me. I turn from my way to trust in you to forgive and cleanse me from all sin and save me to live for you now and be with you one day in Heaven. Now I want to learn your Word of how best to live for you, and to share my new faith in my Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You Lord!</span></b><br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-58368073777920056642015-03-18T12:44:00.001-04:002016-02-20T06:25:07.585-05:00Adam and Eve in The Garden of Eden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #990000;"> Adam and Eve in The Garden of Eden</span></h2>
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">The Bible account (Genesis 2; 3) of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden may seem like somebody's made up story to teach children that the real world is filled with dangers that in growing up we must learn to overcome. There are no talking snakes, no fruit on trees that give life and knowledge of good and evil, no God who walks and talks among us, and the devil is only fear of the dark. </span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">This story is not an actual event testable by empirical science, but only a primitive myth.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><b>But could we be making assumptions we can't prove, or have misunderstandings? </b>The <i>theory</i> that the world is matter, <i>is not matter itself,</i> knowledge and information require<i> a thinking mind.</i> And if physicists can honestly admit space, time and matter came into being, it's <i>being</i> may not be detectable physical energy such as gravity, but an infinite mind or God present everywhere. And if there's God who can create a universe from nothing, He would have no problem creating a man and woman as the account describes. <span style="color: blue;">Even a simple bacteria is a city of interacting machines. Its complexity, unity, and precision could never be the produce of random process even in unlimited time.</span></span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"> It requires an infinite intelligence such as the self-existent Creator God of the Bible (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14). Further, isn't it a tremendous burden on naturalistic science to assume every reproductive male and female kind of life form appear together at the same place and time?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"> .</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><b>The account is not useless technical evolving science, but meant to be simple truth all cultures at all times can understand.</b> We know birds talk and can even say words we understand. If Satan is the world's deceiver, he must can do unusual deceptive tricks (Ephesians 6:11). The trees only need to represent symbols to show that we have a real choice between God's way or the devil's. Our first parents bad choice, meant mankind's spiritual death, leading to physical death, and eternal separation from God</span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">. But God promised the defeat of Satan and sin in a coming redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 3:15; 1 John. 3:8; John 10:10; Rom. 16:20). Evolving scientific theory must unite genes of our first parents Adam and Eve. Original sin best accounts for universal evils </span></span>(Matt. 19:4; Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 11:9; 2 Cor. 11:3). <span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">God saw to it that this event was recorded and preserved for future generations. <span style="color: blue;"> And speaking of God in human terms is necessary to be understood in every culture and time. Any kind of scientific explanation would soon be useless.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;">. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Biblical prophets and apostles preached God's acts to people of their day.</b> Their preaching was fulfilled and recorded by the same groups of people the prophets condemned who surely would have challenged any false statements. Some archaeologists are strangely silent about newly discovered monument inscriptions confirming biblical kings, cities, and events.<span style="color: blue;"> Could these critics claiming Bible history is myth and written decades or even centuries later be </span></span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;">willfully deceived?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;">.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">Without the Bible's revealed God we must face our utter hopelessness. </span></b><span style="color: black;">It means the world has no ultimate purpose, morality has no authority--there's just limited conflicting human opinions. Death means lights out eternally, man is just another perishing animal, and whoever usurps power can kill or enslave the rest of us<span style="color: blue;">.</span> Can you be open minded? <b><i>Our first parents were not hairy, chattering, knuckle-walking, ignorant monkeys. And, Christians have a living hope in a risen Lord who may catch us up to Him any time (1 Thess. 4:16-18).</i></b></span></span></span> <b><span style="color: blue;">Now allow me to discuss important points in the story.</span></b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Our first parents were created by God in His rational, moral image. </b>Indeed, they had all God's communicable attributes as we do today. Adam was made directly from the ground. He walked and talked with God (John 1:14), tended the garden, named the animals and could find no animal compatible with him. All this shows man never was an animal, nor descended from them, and is always responsible to God. Further, Eve, said to be our first mother also created in God's image was on the same level of dignity as Adam. And as any child knows, both are designed for each other and have compatible but separate rolls. Even supposing the sexes can be born with affection only for their own gender, they are not forced to carry it out. God calls that sin (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-11). <span style="color: blue;">We intuitively know of God, but suppress that knowledge being hard hearted not wanting or trusting even a loving God to rule over us. But He will (Ps. 2:8-9; Romans 1;2; Rev. 2:27).</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;">.</span> </span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><b>God warned our first parents not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or they would die. </b>The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represent our own choice of the kind of world we desire. Our many daily choices, motives, actions either please or displease the God who sustains our life. We have a conscience that knows right and wrong. We know that how we want to be treated, is how others want to be treated as well--which renders us without excuse (Rom.2:14-15). <span style="color: blue;">Whatever our heredity and environment in a wicked world may be, we still have free choice or can choose the lessor evil.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Critics protest this in contradictory ways. </b>Bible critics say science shows our choices and acts are determined or fixed, then try to persuade us of acceptance. They claim great evils remain in the world which show no good and powerful God exists, then claim a loving God would never punish us as in Hell. But the Bible teaches heaven or hell is our choice. God invites us to trust the Savior and be with Him in heaven or have our own way alone in eternal darkness (John 3:16-21). Now if there is a Creator, why can't there be a much lessor power as the devil? <span style="color: blue;"> Couldn't the critics be wrong?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">.<b><span style="color: black;"></span></b> </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">Consider how the devil deceived our parents and us. <span style="color: #990000;">(1) </span></span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Doubt</b>.</span> God's Word and His goodness. "Di<span style="color: blue;">d</span> God say you must not eat from any tree of the garden<span style="color: blue;">?"</span> God in grace provided a multitude of trees from which to eat as He does give us a multitude of blessing<span style="color: blue;">s<span style="color: black;"> today</span></span>. <b><span style="color: #990000;">(2) Discouragement</span>.</b> Makes us focus on troubles rather than on God and blessings. <span style="color: #990000;"><b>(3) Diversion.</b></span> Makes the wrong things seem more attractive--beautiful tree, delicious fruit<span style="color: blue;">, <span style="color: black;">make you wise. <span style="color: #990000;"><b>(4) Defeat.</b></span> Makes us feel guilty ashamed failures. <span style="color: #990000;"><b>(5) Delay.</b></span> They should immediately have repented and been forgiven. Instead they were afraid, tried to hide from God, and cover their guilty rebellion with fig leaves. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b>We don't have to be captive to the devil</b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b> or his demons.</b> Jesus was given all authority in Heaven and earth (Matt. 28:19-20). In Christ believers have authority over the demons<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> like snakes and scorpions</span>. </span>But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you, rejoice because your names are registered in heaven (Luke 10:19-20). Fig leaves was their attempt to hide their sin. But God graciously provided for our parent's restoration with a blood sacrifice of animal skins and the promise of a coming Savior (Gen. 3:15; Lev. 17:11). That foretold of Jesus' blood sacrifice on the cross for our sin that alone can reconcile us to God and give us peace (Col. 1:20).</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Won't you admit, Lord, I'm a rebellious unholy self-centered sinner unfit for Heaven and deserve Hell. I trust you now to cleanse me of sin, make me acceptable to You, and enable me to live a victorious life of witness to your grace. I trust you as my eternal Lord, Savior and Guide until you take me to live forever with YOU. Thank you Lord.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">. . </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-90942563491931317112015-03-05T19:29:00.000-05:002016-01-28T00:21:39.803-05:00A Letter to Buddhist Friends in Eastern Nations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2>
<span style="color: #990000;"> A Letter to Buddhist Friends in Eastern Nations</span> </h2>
Buddhist teachings written down four centuries after Buddha's death, resulted in many conflicting traditions, beliefs, and practices within eastern nations. Among these nations are Burma, Tibet, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Mongolia, even Hawaii. Different schools of thought spread to countries at different periods of time. Persons may consider themselves Buddhist and claim other religions as well. Let's look at Buddhism's background, some difficulties of Buddhism, and how Christian beliefs differ.<br />
.<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b> The Background and teachings of Buddhism</b></span><br />
. <br />
Buddha was a reformer rejecting Hindu gods, its caste system, and occultism. He also rejected a personal God, prayer, worship, priesthood, and the human soul. Yet, in some of its many forms, Buddha idols are regarded as god, worshipped, and prayed too. In some Buddhist sects there are Savior gods and heavens and hells. <span style="color: blue;">Persons who say they are Buddhists may be polytheists, atheists, pantheists, animists, or folk traditionalists.</span><br />
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Siddhartha Gautama (563 B.C-483 B.C.) was born as a Prince of India with all the advantages of wealth, finery, handsome appearance. His father built him three palaces and he married a beautiful girl who bore him a son named Rahula. His parents sought to protect him from the world. But he wasn't satisfied with all that affluence, dancing girls, music and finery. One day he saw four things which aroused his compassion: an old man, diseased man, corpse and a begging monk. Disease, decay, death, makes life so impermanent and futile. Seeing that such great suffering exists, at age 29, he abandoned his family in search of enlightenment.<br />
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He sought satisfaction among Hindu masters for six years eating so little he became skin rapped around bone, and decided asceticism was not the way to enlightenment. One day sitting under a fig tree (later called wisdom tree), he became the Buddha,<b> the enlightened or awakened one</b>. He believed humanity's problem can be explained in <b>Four Noble Truths</b>. <b><span style="color: blue;">(1)</span></b> Life is without purpose, full of pain, sufferings, anguish, death. <span style="color: blue;"><b>(2)</b></span> Suffering is caused by desire, cravings for pleasure, prosperity, success, existence. <span style="color: blue;"><b>(3)</b></span> The cure for sufferings is to eliminate our cravings. <span style="color: blue;"><b>(4)</b></span> We can do this by following this Noble<b> </b>Eightfold Path.<br />
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<b>The Noble Eightfold Path</b> is: <span style="color: #990000;"><b>(1)</b></span> Right knowledge (the Four Noble Truths). <span style="color: #990000;"><b>(2)</b></span> Right intentions.<span style="color: #990000;"><b> (3)</b></span> Right speech (truth).<span style="color: #990000;"><b> (4)</b></span> Right conduct meaning no killing animals, stealing, lying, adultery, alcohol or drugs to dull the mind or harm the body. <span style="color: #990000;"><b>(5)</b></span> Right livelihood. (must not be a slave trader, tax collector, or butcher, (Buddha thought meat-eating is wrong). <span style="color: #990000;"><b>(6)</b></span> Right effort.<span style="color: #990000;"> <b>(7) </b></span>Right self-analysis.<span style="color: #990000;"> <b>(8)</b></span> Right meditation, Yoga. Buddha called his enlightenment The Middle Way between affluence and asceticism. Wise and wealthy King Solomon, agreed with Buddha that having everything under the sun is meaningless and vanity (Eccl. 1:8). <br />
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<b>Buddhism split over the issue of who can be enlightened, if everyone, or only a few. </b>Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism seem like different religions. <b>Theravada</b> <b>Buddhism</b> is strict and for monks with shaved heads wearing robes. It goes by Buddha's early teachings. It's concern is insight and wisdom. Salvation or enlightenment is wholly self-effort. It's for a saint or arhat. It avoids speculation about heavens and hells. It's atheistic. It uses the original Buddhist cannon, The Three Baskets. It assures one will achieve nivana or release from the cycle of rebirths, sansara.<br />
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<b>Mahayana Buddhism</b> is for laymen. It emphasis Buddha's life. It stresses feeling and compassion. Others can help one become enlightened. Buddha is a Savior or Bodhisattva. It adds many other books to cannon and many sub sects as Pure Land Buddhism. Zen Buddhism stressing gardening and irrationality. Nichiren Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism combined with occult and magical religion. It has many Buddha's and The Dali Lamia is worshiped as one.<br />
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<b> <span style="color: #990000;"> What Might People Find Difficult About Buddhism?</span></b><br />
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<b>1. Buddhist's have no authoritative basis for their beliefs.</b> Within Buddhism we have so many different, even conflicting schools of belief. It was four hundred years after Buddha's death before anything was written down about his life and teachings. Some Buddhists claim The Three Baskets as the earliest of the accounts and it was written in the Pali language and translated later and many times into each countries language. Others add many more later books to their canon.The Buddhist canon is a virtual library of books.<span style="color: blue;"> So, if there is even one way to get off the cycle of multiple whatevers (samsara), to achieve nirvana, we can't be sure which one it is. It's all guesses.</span><br />
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<b>2. Isn't worship of man-made idols a foolish waste of time?</b> Does it do any good to bow and pray to gods made of wood, stone, metal
as many Buddhists do? Man made gods have no ability to hear our prayers,
know our needs, help us in any way. <span style="color: blue;">Our power created them and we take
them in at night so they won't be stolen or destroyed. </span><br />
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<b>3. How can Buddha know we have no soul? </b> If Buddha believed each person consists of five "aggregates" or parts: the physical body, emotions, perception, will, and consciousness, and death causes these parts to come apart. All we can say from appearance is that at death our body becomes cold and stiff, and that life is no longer present in the body. Some persons have even claimed to have out-of-the-body experiences who see things and describe events that took place while their mind was unconscious. <span style="color: blue;">So it seems we can't say that our life, soul, or self hasn't gone to some other place. </span><br />
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<b>4. Is there any visible evidence in Buddhism that there is a cycle of rebirths.</b> If Buddha said whatever exists in another life is disconnected parts "aggregates", then those parts can't tell us anything about there former life. Dreams, birthmarks, injustices in life, natures yearly cycles, and mere claims are no visible evidence of former lives. It seems to require a known person risen from the dead, as 500 people saw Jesus (1 Cor. 15:1-8). If we shouldn't help suffers work off their karma, doesn't that immensely prolongs suffering and defeat Buddha's thinking<span style="color: blue;">? So, there seems to be no real evidence for reincarnation of any kind.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b> Christians Differ from Buddhists in Crucial ways.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>. </b></span><b></b><br />
<b>Christians find much to praise in Buddha's path to enlightenment.</b> It's
very comprehensive and in depth. It's most relative to real life
concerns. It's beneficial to human well-being. It's ethical principles
against stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and slave trading are
commendable. But isn't the Noble Eightfold Path the very things we have
to
desire? And, surely it's good to desire food, drink, sleep, clothes, and
good
health. And if we abandon our families, wouldn't that be the cause of
even their greater suffering?<span style="color: blue;"> Maybe then, desire is not the <b>basic</b> cause of suffering. Christians believe the real cause is wrong behavior and rebellion against our Creator that results in frustration, emptiness, guilt, shame, and death.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span><br />
<b>Christian beliefs have a solid foundation in the Bible. </b>The Bible accounts are not speculative philosophy, myths, or accounts written centuries later. They are true accounts of God acting in our world in ways we can see and recognize. Bible prophets and apostles published shortly after the events while persons living could know that they were true. God's spokesmen predicted detailed events of their day and of centuries later that occurred as predicted. Only an all knowing God can tell us about the future. Further, these events are of healing the blind, lame, deaf, walking on water, raising the dead which only God's known spokesmen with God's power can do. <span style="color: blue;">All this may be new and seem strange to you my friends, but please pray for God to give you understanding.</span> <span style="color: blue;">There's hope.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Jesus, our Creator, invites us to an eternal, permanent, love-trust relationship with Him. He came into our world, to bear the just punishment of our guilt and shame that is the real cause of our sufferings, anxiety, futility, disease, and death. If we will believe, trust in, rely on Jesus, we can know the love, peace, purpose, truth, self-esteem, and joy that is: The Jesus Way. It is eternal life and fulfillment God made us to have with Him (John 1:1-3,14; 3:16-21; 10:9-10). </span></b><br />
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Friends, I invite you to get a Christian Bible in your own language if you can. In English, I recommend the Life Application Study Bible, NLT, large print. It's virtually a Bible college education. Friends in Christ, pray for the people of Asia, link, and send them these gospel articles WWW as ministers of faith and love. Translate them into their language if you can. God bless you and thank you for your ministry to very needy people. We will meet them in Heaven one day. God's love, peace, and joy to everyone.<br />
.. </div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-59635826780134970972015-02-14T09:23:00.002-05:002016-01-28T00:23:25.345-05:00Is Jesus About to Come FOR His Bride?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Is Jesus About to Come <i>FOR</i> His Bride?</b></span> </span></h2>
<b>I'm aware of the different views of Bible prophecy regarding Jesus' coming and His reign on the earth.</b> Christian essentials are that the Bible is God's true authoritative Word, that there is only one God in three persons, that Jesus is the God-man who alone saves us from sin by faith in his death and resurrection, that our salvation is unmerited favor which we show through good deeds, and that there is a real Heaven and Hell. Our different backgrounds, teachers, and inclinations cause us to differ about some of our beliefs. So we need to practice the principle--In essentials, unity; in non essentials, liberty; in everything love one another until we all come into full complete understanding.<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Now with regard to Bible prophecy, Christians differ as things aren't as explicit as we would like. </span></b><span style="color: blue;"><b>I believe, the far greater evidence is that Jesus will first come<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i> for</i> </span>His Bride, the Church, to take us to Heaven to be judged for our rewards and to celebrate the marriage supper (1 Cor. 3:10-15; 15:50-57; Rev. 19:5-9). During that same time on earth seven years of tribulation will take place such as never seen before (Mt. 24-21-22;25; Rev. 3:10; 7:14; 6-18). Then Jesus will come <span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>with</i></span> His saints to earth the second time to destroy His enemies and reign a thousand years. At the end of the millennium, Jesus will destroy earth's final rebellion, judge all the unsaved at the great white throne, and restore a new eternal Heaven and earth ( 2 Peter 3:10-13; Rev. 20-22).</b></span><br />
<b>. </b><br />
<b>Jesus told his disciples troubling news that he was going to leave them.</b> Peter asked the Lord where he was going. Jesus told them, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am" (John 14:1-3 NLT). Jesus was promising his people here that he would return TO TAKE THEM BACK TO HIS FATHER'S HOUSE WHICH IS HEAVEN.<br />
<b>.</b><br />
<b>Similarly, Paul answers the Thessalonians question</b> of what happens to those who have died (1 Thess. 4:16-18). "The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive on the earth will be <b>CAUGHT UP</b> in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.<br />
<b> .</b><br />
<b>It seems clear Jesus is coming in the air to <span style="color: blue;"><i>rapture or snatch away</i></span> </b>His Bride to Heaven<b>.</b> The Bible says so many times that it will be unexpected like a thief in the night and nobody but the Father knows the day or hour. It's imminent or can happen anytime so we are to be alert and ready as shown by our holy lives. See Mt. 24:42,44; 25:13; Luke 12:40; 1 Thess. 5:1-6; Rev. 16:15. Dr. Norman Geisler gives us a chart showing some of the contrasts between the Rapture and the Second coming. <br />
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<b> The Rapture </b></div>
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<b> The Second Coming</b></div>
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Meeting them in the air (1 Thess. 4:17 )</div>
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Taking them to earth (Zach. 14:4; Acts 1:11)</div>
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Taking believers to Heaven (John 14:3)</div>
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Bringing believers back to earth (Rev. 19:14)</div>
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Coming for His saints (2 Thess. 2:1)</div>
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Coming with His saints (Jude 14)</div>
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Only Believers see Him (1 Thess. 4:17)</div>
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All people see Him (Rev. 1:7)</div>
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No signs precede it (1 Thess. 5:1-3)</div>
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Many signs precede it (Matt. 24:3-30)</div>
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The Tribulation begins (2 Theses. 1:6-9)</div>
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The Millennium Begins (Rev. 20:1-7)</div>
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.<br />
<b>This is all known at the pretribulational premillennial dispensational interpretation of Scripture. </b>It's based upon a natural ordinary meaning of language applied to prophecy the same as to the other Scripture. It recognizes God has introduced new elements throughout His providential working with humanity. It's the understanding that God's relationship with man in the Garden of Eden was changed after the Fall, different also with Abraham promising him a land and both physical and spiritual descendants, different again under God's theocratic rule of Israel under Mosaic law, a priesthood, temple sacrifices, and circumcision, different again from Pentecost in Acts 2 with a new Christian brotherhood, the Holy Spirit's indwelling all believers with direct access to God with Jesus being the only sacrifice for sin. Paul said it was a mystery unknown in the Tanakh or OT that the church of Jew and Gentile would become one body (Eph. 3:6).<br />
.<br />
Finally, sin's curse will be partially lifted during Christ's millennial reign. God's promises to Israel of their land and Messiah are finally to be fulfilled (Isaish 11; Zach. 14; Rom. 11:25-27: 1 Cor. 10:32). Israel and the Church are kept separate throughout the Bible in God's plans for both. In the Old Testament Israel meant Israel as also 65 times in the New Testament (i.e., Matt. 19:28; Acts 1:6; Rev. 7:4). The Church is a Christian brotherhood under grace (Rom.11:6). We shouldn't read God's Old Testament unfulfilled promises to Israel as fulfilled in the Church or in the millennium. <span style="color: blue;"> If God doesn't keep his promises to Israel, how can we trust Him to keep his saving promises with the Church? </span><br />
.<br />
<b>Now Jesus gave no signs of the rapture just of His second coming (Matt. 24-25)</b> Jesus, however, rebuked the supposed biblical experts of his day, the Pharisees and Sadducee's, as not discerning the signs of the times all around them showing he was their Messiah (Isaiah 35:5-6; Matt. 16:1-3). Could there be signs of our times that must take place before Jesus' comes? <span style="color: blue;">Wouldn't they alert us that the rapture is even closer and that we better be ready living Godly lives and telling people about the Savior of us sinners?</span><br />
<b>.</b><br />
<b>What might such signs be?<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">(1)</span></b> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The rebirth of Israel.</b></span> Ezekiel 37 is the prophecy of the valley of dry bones that are the restored people of Israel in their land in unbelief with one king over all. No one ever dreamed it would happen. But in 1948 to every one's surprise Israel became a nation again after being scattered among the Gentile nations for 1,878 years. The Roman General Titus had his legion destroy Israel's temple and Jerusalem in AD 70. Jesus had predicted the destruction until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Luke 21:20-24). Then Jesus gave signs of his second coming (Luke 21:25-36). So it seems after cosmic disturbances Armageddon is on the way (Joel 2:28-29) which will lead Israel to be converted (Zach. 12:2-9; Rev. 6:12-13). <br />
. <br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>(2) A growing apostasy or false teachings within the church.<span style="color: black;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">It's not uncommon today to see on the Internet once pastors and leaders of the church teaching atheism. Paul warns Timothy and us today, this will happen (1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim. 4:3-5). We are to be watchful and be evangelists. We're warned these deceivers will deny the teachings of God (2 Tim 3:4-5), Christ (1 John 2:18), Christ's return (2 Pet. 3:3-4), morals (2 Tim. 3:1-8), and God's authority (2 Tim. 3:4). <span style="color: blue;">Essentially, they reduce us to perishing predatory animals without God and without hope devouring each other.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">That's all the more reason we who love our Lord must be disciplined and diligent telling people about Jesus wherever we go. I do. It's a sad fact so many persons who are church members for years, and claim to be Christians never tell anyone Jesus is the Lord who died to save us from slavery to sin, death, and Hell. We will one day stand before the Savior who then will be our Judge to give account of our earthly service. How faithful or unfaithful are you? <span style="color: blue;">Excuses of business and faithlessness won't mean a thing before Jesus. We manage to do what we really want to do. Will we have any rewards in heaven? Or did sports, computer games, television, and trivial things take up all our time?</span></span></span><br />
<b>.</b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><b>The Internet gives us an unprecedented opportunity to reach our world for Christ.</b> Faithful Christians have sacrificed to go to Bible college, the university, seminary, learn another language in loving obedience to their Lord hoping to go to another country to win unchurched people to Christ. We have an unprecedented opportunity today to reach people for Christ worldwide. We can post Christian articles wherever we are to reach people for Christ. Let's defeat the devil--be bold and faithful, loving and resourceful. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><b>I invite you to join me in a Covenant of Praise.</b> I'm praying for God's enabling to keep me healthy of body and mind to share His grace and glory worldwide. I'm praying for 300 articles, 1,000+ arguments for Christian faith, 7 million good news messengers, 70 million converts, 200 countries reached<b>.</b> God can do it if everyone will link, and pray that hearts, minds, lives be changed for His glory. Tell professors, pastors, classes, insert in church bulletins that they are welcome and invited to use God's articles. Lord, make us faithful and fruitful loving evangelists. We will rejoice with those won to Christ in Heaven one day with strong beautiful bodies. I don't ask for donations, but for your faithful prayers that God use us as His good news messengers in lives of humble, loving, obedient service.<span style="color: blue;"> Is there anything better we can do for another human being? Praise Father! Praise Son! Praise the Holy Spirit! Praise You triune God, and thank You ever so much. We love, trust, and obey YOU.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>(3) The craving for peace in the Middle East. </b><span style="color: black;">The entire Middle East has been at war 60 years. I'm looking at a list of eleven wars not counting the ones going on now. Things seem to be getting worse, the news is depressing. People have such little regard for human life and moral principles. </span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Let's tell people about Jesus' purpose and defeat the devil terrorist's. Jesus said, "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." (John 10:10 Life Application Study Bible, New</span> <span style="color: black;">Living Translation). </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>(4) A revived Roman Empire. </b><span style="color: black;">Daniel 2;7 tells of four past world kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece under Alexander the Great, and the Roman Empire. But the end times is also evident here as the Roman Empire never consisted of a ten-nation confederacy. Antichrist emerges from this new confederacy to dominate the world in a kind of unified government. Now aren't we moving toward a one world currency system which seems required as a first step? What about governments controlling our communication systems?<span style="color: blue;"> It seems a dominate world government is required to solve our horrendous international problems and force peace on violent sinful nations? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><b>. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>(5) Globalism. </b></span>Alert persons can see we are becoming more and more a one-world community. Our global communication systems and rapid means of travel will make us one people in every area. We are increasingly dependent with similar policies in business, trade, commerce, environment, technologies, population control, entertainment, science, medicine, and so on. World problems are escalating as depletion of oil, Middle East conflict, terrorism, overpopulation, starvation, pollution, national and international crime, sex slavery, cyber warfare, economic instability, and others.<br />
. <br />
<span style="color: blue;">It seems that a great and capable leader is needed who can solve these otherwise insurmountable problems. That is when the Antichrist takes complete control. He will impose a anti-God global union with himself to be worshipped as God. The Antichrist will impose a one-world political system, a one-world monetary policy, and a one-world false religion (Rev. 13). He may be alive and waiting somewhere in the world today to soon take charge.</span><br />
.<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Friend, these are ominous times for our world. If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you best cry out. Lord, I'm a sinner, save me!! I deserve Hell but I trust Jesus has paid for my many sins and to forgive and wash me in His cleansing blood shed for me on the cross. Help me Lord live a holy God-honoring life until you take me home. And help me courageously and faithfully share my faith in your healing cleansing blood. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>.. </b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-74040450267797301292015-01-17T09:55:00.000-05:002016-01-28T00:24:54.324-05:00Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?</span></h2>
What we claim as fact, truth, reality is decided by what we believe is the ultimate or final authority for our beliefs. Equally brilliant and educated persons can reach opposite conclusions viewing the same evidence simply because they have accepted different starting points as the authority for their thinking. This can be shown with opposite answers to the above question. And people will attempt every possible explanation to justify their conclusion.</div>
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<b>This seems to be the facts as I understand them.<span style="color: purple;"> (1)</span></b> Roosters must pregnant hens before they can have chicks.<b> <span style="color: purple;">(2)</span></b> Hens have a protein called ovacleidin 17 in their body needed for egg shells to form. <b>(3)</b> Hens must lay on the eggs 21 days to keep them warm to hatch. <b>(4)</b> Hens must turn the eggs over 3 or more times a day to be keep evenly warm to hatch.<b> (5)</b> The chicks peck their way out of their shell, and the hen protects her chicks sometimes taking them under her wings and by showing them how to get food and water<b>. (6) </b>Breeding chickens to produce better varieties introduces intelligence not found in nature, but even then chickens genetic makeup won't allow anything other than newborn chicks.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now if we say <b>the chicken came first,</b> we are a creationist believing the Bible is our final authority and appealing to the fifth day of Genesis when God created birds, sea creatures, and every living thing to reproduce after its own kind as we see happens today (Gen. 1:20-23). Thus, the Bible is the creationist's final authority and starting point.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But if we say <b>the egg came first,</b> then we are an evolutionist claiming that is our final authority and starting point. Many in science today would claim evolution, but not all scientists do. Evolutionists have usurped every branch of science today and educational authorities attempt to deny creationists teaching positions in schools. What I don't understand is: If evolution is so overwhelmingly demonstrated as scientific fact, then creation teaching should be allowed, even encouraged, to show how false it really is, to settle the controversy. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"> So let's be
clear about what we're talking about.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"> .</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">By evolution is meant all life forms are related biologically by common descent, being evolved by accident over billions of years from a single-celled <b><i>common ancestor</i></b> formed from lifeless chemicals. It's not that there can't be varieties of dogs and horses, or monkeys and men, but that every kind of life form reproduces after its own kind so there can be many varieties of dogs, but dogs don't change into horses, and many kinds of monkeys, but monkeys never evolve into people. Thus, the animals and plants we see today are descendants of the original ones God created though many have died out.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Now as a biblical creationist I have some serious problems with evolution that require good answers. </span></span></b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Evolution has become the basis of many people's worldview that decides every issue of life and how we are to live. So we need to have a through understanding of the issues and consequences.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">First, <b><i>DNA is a molecule of instructions</i></b> of what an organism is to become. Nothing (non being) can't create matter, and mindless matter doesn't spontaneously generate information. Mutations can't be the mechanism of change as they are only copying errors causing defects and never observed to add new instructions. </span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">The DNA molecule gives a library of information so its sender, must be an infinite mind, God. </span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Yes, DNA in organisms can be almost identical, but what makes animals and plants different is their different DNA arrangement, not identical chemistry. <span style="color: blue;">All this can't be an accident of chance over billions of years as evolutionists claim. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Next,<b><i> living cells show irreducible complexity</i></b> like a city of biochemical machines working together. In multi-cellular organisms, cells are specialised performing different tasks enabling the organism to survive. The organisms different systems as digestive, reproductive, respiratory and it organs as eyes, legs, heart, kidneys, must all function together making it one functioning animal. If one of these systems or organs should fail, the organism would die. Thus, animals must be created complete and functional. Such complexity could never have gradually evolved by chance in billions of years. <span style="color: blue;">And this must be true throughout the whole animal and plant kingdoms.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Now the evolutionist usually says the chicken simply came from some earlier form of bird, but that's no satisfactory answer. That just pushes the question a step further back. And bird eggs must all be hatchet and have parents in conditions similar with hens. In fact, throughout the life kingdoms babies generally require parents to initially provide for them, especially human babies. Moreover, no reptile egg has been observed to hatch a bird. The evolutionist doesn't address the problem by saying the creationist is unscientific, stupid, ignorant, primitive, or that most scientists are evolutionists, or denying the Genesis creation account. <span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Speculative arguments of future possibilities furnish no actual proof either. </span>All such claims are evasions that don't answer creationists evidences and show a hateful disrespectful unchristian attitude. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Now there are yet other crucial problems with evolution that have dire consequences for our lives. Evolutionists claim there's no Almighty, all knowing, loving, personal Creator God, so there are<b><i> no absolutes of truth and morals.</i></b> Each person then is free to decide such things for him or her self. Now if no absolutes, how can an evolutionist claim evolution is true?<span style="color: blue;"> No absolutes means nothing is certain truth. Has the evolutionist thought about the consequences of his claim of no absolutes and no higher authority as a personal Creator God? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"> .</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Then, each persons becomes their own authority. There's no fixed morality or truth, just limited, conflicting, individual preferences. So alternative lifestyles are acceptable, and we're free to follow our desires. We then can have sex with anybody we like, lie, steal, and murder people we hate or just for fun. The only rule for animals in a jungle world is temporary survival. There is no God to tell us how to live or judge us, we're not responsible to anything but free to fulfill our desires. It's this life, then lights out, so why not have our fling? Traffic lights, prices on items, jails--and all such things are rules we really detest. We can give our own interpretation to author's books as well as everything else. It's my way, and my truth with each of us. Nobody is telling me what to do, I'm my own boss!!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>If everyone applied the worldview of those who detest the biblical Christian worldview, this world would quickly become chaos<span style="color: black;">,</span> continual violence and warfare, a virtual madhouse of insecurity and insanity. Moral and epistemological relativism doesn't work, it's of the devil (John 10:9-10). Can we admit the truth? Certainly the world would be a lot better if everyone applied the Bible of our Creator God--Galatians 5:19-23; John 3:16-21). </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Now I ask you, does the evolutionist really live by his philosophy? Or, does he borrow from the Christian biblical worldview of a personal Creator God? The Bible's God created us for a love-trust relationship with Him, gives us breath and abundant blessings. He invites us to a restored eternal paradise with Him. He sent His Son to pay for our sins, forgive and renew us in faith, love, hope, a meaningful life, and rewards our earthly service. <span style="color: blue;">Persons who can only see rules, punishments, and Hell misunderstand Bible Christianity alltogether. They have an arrogant know-it-all attitude, and their only concern is a self-centered desire to have their own way.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Of course, if we drift rebelliously toward the evolutionist's way, the world becomes a madhouse of violence (Gen. 6:5-8). So government, or whatever has power, must impose rules and authority on everyone to prevent chaos and continual warfare. Honestly, who would want such a world? It's terrifying and unliveable. Human life will have no value, no hope, and death is lights out. <span style="color: blue;">The truth is that the evolutionist doesn't really live as if the world is a jungle and we are all animal predators, hoping only for temporary survival. He feels guilt and shame deep down, even if he won't admit it. So he borrows human dignity and morality from the Christian biblical worldview and its Creator God.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">Now space limitations forbid much discussion. But if all is relative, then there is<b> <i>no uniformity or </i><i>dependability in nature</i><i> (Gen. 8:22),</i> </b>everything is an accident of chance. Further, if all is only material having no mind, how can we know that the immaterial laws of logic are true, and that our senses and memory give us true information, or that we even have a soul? <span style="color: blue;">Evolutionists are without a factual foundation. They borrow from the Christian biblical worldview<span style="color: black;">,<span style="color: blue;"> as do others of a non-Christian worldview. They have limited conflicting imaginings, </span></span>just fooling themselves in their self-center<span style="color: black;">ed<span style="color: blue;"> arrogance</span></span>. We really have no<b> common ancestor,</b> but do have a<b> Common Designer</b> and great purpose, hope, and love in Yeshua or Jesus.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">What then if the Bible's Creator God is absolute truth? Then God made everything, upholds everything, and as the Bible teaches God made us beings of dignity in His image for a personal love-trust relationship. Human dignity, love, justice, truth, Heaven and Hell can all be realities and life has meaning, and hope. Everything we do counts. The Bible teaches God so loves us sinful people that He sent His unique son, the God-man, to pay for our sins on the cross and offer us a more abundant and eternal life (John 3:16-21; 10:9-10; 2 Cor. 5:21). Won't you say, Lord Jesus I trust you right now and forever as my Lord, Savior, and Guide to do your will until I see you after death. Now serve God by sending this article on the www as a ministry of faith and love.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">.. </span> </span></div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-39029890034740983072015-01-13T16:06:00.000-05:002016-01-28T00:24:11.029-05:00How Could God Allow This To Happen To Me?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> How Could God Allow This To Happen To Me?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct paths. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Proverbs 3:5-7; Romans 8:28<b> Life Application Study Bible, Living New Translation)</b>.</span></span> But does the Bible bear this out. Let's check it out by a look at the life of Job and the life of Abraham.<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Upright Job, asked God why is everything taken from me but my life? </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Though right with God,</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Job lost--possessions, prestige, wealth, children, health, being left covered with
painful humiliating boils, a nagging spouse and consoling friends who became offensive condemners. Now what can test ones faith in a good, caring, powerful God more than that?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">But in all this Job's faith shown. He said, "The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord, Job did not sin by blaming God (Job 1:20-22 NLT). When his wife said, "Curse God and die. Job replied, Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" Job said nothing wrong (Job 2:10). In painful agony, Job affirmed, "I know my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, Yet in my body I will see God"(Job 19:25-26).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">From his limited spot in time, Job couldn't see God's perfect wisdom, sovereignty, and justice. But God's questioning him enabled him to be humbled and restored. He lived 140 years after that with four generations of children and grandchildren. God also gave him twice the sheep, camels, teams of oxen, donkeys and seven more sons and three beautiful daughters.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">What can we learn from the Book of Job and his suffering?<b> </b>First, we may learn something about its causes. Suffering can be due to my sin, other's sin, natural disasters, ignorance, or the devil and his demons. What else can we learn? (1) That we should trust God even though we don't understand the things that happen in our lives. (2) That human wisdom is always partial, temporary, and subject to pride. (3) That what we don't understand now we may understand with later maturity. (4) That God is always present everywhere but at times He may seem nonexistent. (5) That we should be really careful in condemning others as we may not understand their circumstances and motives. (6) That the best consolation we can give suffers is just our empathic presence. (7) That when we lose everything, God is yet with us to provide and restore. (8) That we're to remember the patience of Job and the great example of faith and integrity he set for humanity. See book of Job; Ezek.14:14,20; James 5:11. </span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">God promised Abram a son, then later told him to sacrifice his son. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">"The Lord said to Abram, 'Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those nations that bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families on earth will be blessed through you' (Gen. 12:1-3). </span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> .</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">This passage is known as the Abrahamic Covenant and is repeated to Abraham several times (Genesis 13:14-17; 15:1-7, 18-21; 17:1-8). In it God gave<i>s</i> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b><i><b>personal promise</b></i></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">s to Abram to bless him, make him famous, be a blessing to others, and others would be blessed as they help you. God gave<b> <i>national promises</i></b> as his children would become a great nation, the land would belong to his descendants, the covenant would be established with his descendants. And God gave <b><i>universal promises</i></b> as nations blessed or cursed as they treated his descendants, and finally all the nations would be blessed meaning the coming Messiah and Savior.</span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">But, Abraham had to wait a very long time and endure such great testing even to have the promised son only to be asked to sacrifice him.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Let me first dwell on the sacrifices he had to make before all this could happen.</b> Abram longed for that promised heir but year after year went by and his hopes were disappointed time after time. First, he lost<b> his nephew Lot</b> who was not the promised one, but God reassured him of the promised heir. Next, he thought it was his faithful <b>servant Eliezer of Damascus</b>, but no God said it was be from his body and he would have descendants like the stars of heaven. Abram and wife Sarai being so impatient thought they could bring it about with her servant Hagar who bore Abram<b> a son Ishmael</b> whom he loved. But that was not God's plan either. <span style="color: blue;">Then the Lord Almighty appeared to Abram, changed his name to Abraham, the father of nations and Sarai became Sarah, a princess.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">God promised them to have a son next year about this time. Sarah laughed wondering how this could be since she was ninety and he one hundred years old. The Lord asked Sarah why she laughed? Lets ponder the Lord's question a moment. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Can't the all-knowing, Almighty Creator God supply our need as we trust and obey Him in His timing? <span style="color: blue;">Whether with our family, our employment, our relationships, our health,whatever? God assured them they would have a child this time next year. </span></span></span><br />
.<br />
The Lord kept His word as He always does, Sarah became pregnant and bore a son at the time God said she would. Abraham circumcised him as God commanded and named him <b>Isaac</b> meaning "he laughs."But here is the bad part. God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, the promised son, the one he waited decades to have. What kind of God would do that? That was an immoral act even murder not any different than the pagan tribes living all around him. Could Abraham have misunderstood? Doesn't this defy all reason? And what of all the promises God told Abraham he would fulfill? God now asked him to give up the love of his heart--it was his severest test. But Abraham willingly unhesitatingly obeyed walking 50 long miles to Mount Moriah with his beloved promised son beside him.<span style="color: blue;"> But carefully notice what Abraham told his two servants with him. He said, we, speaking of him and Isaac, will worship there <b>and come back </b>(Genesis 22:5).</span><br />
.<br />
Abraham had by this time found God to be utterly trustworthy in his love-trust relationship that he could give up his greatest treasure and show he loved God more than anything the world had to offer.<br />
It was no leap into the dark as critics often like to claim, it was a lifetime of trusting God in so many different occasions and finding God always faithful to His promises. Hebrews 11:19 tell us Abraham believed that when he killed Isaac, that God would raise him up from the dead and this was before later prophets raised people from the dead. We can see God do incredible things the Bible promises if we will believe and be<span style="color: blue;"> willing to allow God's way in God's time.</span> Not like Sarah who told Abram to have a child with her servant girl even though that was an acceptable custom at that time. Not like Abraham when he told Sarah to say she was his sister and he not be killed.<br />
.<br />
Yes, we will be tested again and again always with the choice of who and what comes first in our life, God's way or my way. We have to come to the point that we believe the Creator who designed all things throughout the universe and made us for a love-trust relationship really knows in the long run what's in our best interests. Now, what about the personal promises of the Abrahamic covenant?<br />
.<br />
Well, Abraham did have descendants like the stars of heaven and sands on the seashore. Many nations and kings did come from him. Israel survived when Canaanite nations of that day didn't. Clearly God has blessed obedient Israel and nearly allowed disobedient Israel's destruction. <span style="color: blue;">Nations that blessed Israel prospered as the USA and others that cursed her were destroyed as Egypt and Hitler's Germany. It seems the U.S.A. is turning its back on Israel today in fulfillment of prophecy (Matt. 24:9).</span><br />
. <br />
But the land promise of the Abrahamic covenant has not yet all been fulfilled. Israel is a nation today after centuries of being scattered among the Gentile nations from 70 AD. While Joshua captured much land, King David expanded it greatly, and Solomon collected tribute. Israel has never occupied all the land God promised from the border of Egypt to the Euphrates River (Genesis 15:18-20).<br />
.<br />
Now these<b> land promises</b> God made to Israel were confirmed in several ways.The are said to be without conditions, eternal, God passing between animals with a smoking oven and burning torch. Male circumcision became its sign and seal. I believe God's promises to Abraham are just as permanent as God's promise of my salvation in Jesus as God doesn't lie. Later prophets say Israel will return to their land in unbelief as happened after 1948. <span style="color: blue;">We are getting close to Jesus coming for his saints (1 Thess. 4:16-17).</span><br />
. <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now the Jews of Christ's day expected the Messiah their prophets foretold, but not as suffering servant Messiah dying for people's sin's (Isaiah 53; Luke 19:10). In their pride, they despised the Gentiles, resented Roman oppression, and could only see Messiah as reigning king so they rejected their promised Messiah (Luke 19:14).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><br />
<b>Understand, Israel is a theocratic kingdom (God rule), while the Church is a
universal brotherhood. </b>The Church begun on Pentecost with all believers indwelt by
God's Spirit, and with the New Covenant in Christ's blood as the final
sacrifice so Christians as priests with direct access to God. The body of
Christ composed of both Jew and gentile was a mystery not known until
Christ paid for our sins.<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b>The church is not fulfilling God's promises to Israel. The separation
between Israel, the Gentiles, and the Church is maintained throughout
the Bible (Acts. 4:8; 3:12; 21:28; Rom. 10:1). Paul said, "Don't give
offense to Jews, Gentiles, or the Church of God (1 Cor. 10:32). <br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> But Israel will later be the head nation
and other nations come to Jerusalem to worship while the whole world
will enjoy peace and prosperity (Isa. 2; 11)</b>; There will be justice and equality (Jer. 23:5-6), joy (Psa 48). God's children will be freed from the curse of decay and death and our bodies will be released from sin and suffering. Oh what a glorious day of the Lord it will be (Rom. 8:18-24; Rev. 20).<b><span style="color: #38761d;"> So does God keep His promises? You bet He does, big time! So let's make every day count by keeping our love-trust relationship alive that leads to obedience and unending joy. We have through the internet the greatest opportunity to share God's good news. Let's not waste it doing trivial things. We don't want to be ashamed when we see Jesus. </span></b></span></span><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">.. </span><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></div>
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7686368093518340879.post-14322875368010012622015-01-13T05:49:00.002-05:002015-01-13T05:49:22.468-05:00A Challenge To Open Hearts & Minds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> <span style="color: #cc0000;">A Challenge To Open Hearts & Minds</span></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
.<br />
Politically correct is most incorrect if it seeks to stifle truth. We humans have minds that innately think, weigh evidence, and seek to discern truth from falsehood. Free speech is our inherent right and should be mandated everywhere by law. Authorities political, scientific, or religious that seek to suppress truth stifle the well being and progress of society. We must understand that truth is universal and reasonable, not just my truth against your truth that leads us to disrespect and strife. The questions below give Christian evidence authorities increasing seem to ignore, discount, ridicule, and marginalize from the public arena.<span style="color: blue;"> I trust you to give it your honest objective reflective thought.</span><br />
<b>.</b><br />
<b>Does Empirical Science Put God Beyond Human Knowledge? </b>Some scientists claim we can't know anything that is not tested by repeatable, measurable experiments. The truth is only present physical objects are subject to such testing. Historical events, ethics, law, art, philosophy, even what you ate for dinner last week is not subject to such testing. Yet we know these things exist in the real world. Scientists assume even before they begin their experiments, that the world exists, it is knowable, our senses give accurate information, we can think logically, and honest accurate data are imperative to discover truth. <span style="color: blue;">What is this then but a mountain of faith? </span><br />
<b> .</b><br />
<b>Consider this question seriously: If God could create a great universe with its laws, then would lessor things like angels, men, miracles, and heaven be difficult? </b>Surely creation of the greater means no problem for the lessor. And, if the Bible's God is Spirit or Mind, isn't it wrong-headed to expect to discover Him with microscope, telescope, or contrived experiments. Even supposing God exists, can we demand He perform a miracle we can film to prove He exists and can act in our world<span style="color: blue;">?<span style="color: black;"> What if God made us in His image for loving relationship with Him, then wouldn't it seem reasonable for Him to make Himself known to us? <span style="color: blue;"> But! maybe not on our terms.</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Isn't this the crucial question?</b> It's not whether God exists, since we may intellectual believe some kind of God exists, but care nothing about Him. When we don't know God, we may fear He may not have our best interests in mind. That fear may cause us to ignore or discount all evidence that points to Him. It doesn't matter if He's said to be our Creator, loves us, or gives us the breath we breath--we just don't know what to expect. <span style="color: blue;">We humans prefer our ways and don't want to stray from our comfort zone of what we think right for us. We wonder, will this God give me what I want? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> Unlike superstitious pagans, Christians believed God created a rational knowable world for us to explore and enjoy which provided for experimental science. He provided us the foundation and authority for </span></span>absolute truth, ultimate purpose, human dignity, ethics, justice, love, and life after death. <span style="color: blue;">All this gives us hope and makes life worthwhile. So He's a good and wise God who loves us.</span><br />
<br />
Christians believe Jesus is the God-man who walked among us doing good (John 1:1-3, 14). He even died to pay for our sins, and arose again to give us abundant life (John 10:10; 2 Cor. 5:21). Before Jesus', time, pagans offered sacrifices to their fearful vengeful gods. <span style="color: blue;">So it was unthinkable of God to love us so much to die such excruciating pain nailed to a cross, be naked, cursed before glaring eyes, and laughed at, bearing the punishment for our sin. It didn't matter how ignorant, foolish, poor, hateful, selfish, ugly, misfit, rejected we might be, or might become--Jesus loves us to give His life so we can have eternal life. </span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">We have abundant evidence Jesus is the risen Son of God</span></span>. It launched the Christian church that dates the calender (Acts 1:1-3; 2:22-24)<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">. Jesus underwent ridicule, torture, and death so we today can know Him as our Savior, Lord, and Guide. Paul mentioned 500 people saw Jesus after His resurrection many still alive when he wrote 25-30 years later (1 Cor. 15:1-8). Jesus is the world's only visual evidence we have life after death, and Heaven if we trust Him to save us. </span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Friends, evolutionary science is based on naturalist assumptions: <b>But no experiment shows a dog can change into a horse, monkey evolve into a man.</b> Mindless molecules can't arrange themselves into men even in billions of years no more than red, white, and blue confetti thrown from a plane can form the American flag.. There's no one missing link, but chains of them between all the life forms. Artists pictures in science textbooks are no proof. Those who don't want a loving God in their life have to fall back on evolutionary assumptions. The naturalist claim there's no God, is arrogant and used to excuse life apart from the God who really loves us and wants us to know Him? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>If the Beginning Universe Didn't Create Itself, Then What Did?</b> All science is based upon a cause and effect relationship so that whatever has a beginning must have a cause. It's illogical to think a nonexistent universe could created itself. Then, the cause of the finite, material universe must be timeless, immaterial, intelligent, powerful, and personal. And its cause can't come into or go out of existence, but is eternal, self-existent, and prior to creation. <span style="color: blue;">These characteristics describe the Creator God of Genesis 1:1; the self-existent I Am of Exodus 3:14, eternal Word (Mind or Lord Jesus) of John 1:1-3, 14 and Christian's Redeemer of Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:14-18. </span><br />
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<b>Doesn't Our Conscience tell us we're responsible to Moral Law and its Lawgiver? </b>The philosopher Immanuel Kant thought it implied justice, immortality, and God. Excuses make no sense unless we break a moral law. We suffer guilt and shame to break one. We feel a sense of duty to save life even at the risk of our own. All cultures share laws for as against genocide and rape. We judge the human race for moral progress or regress. Moral laws are discovered, not invented. <span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">We may deny the moral law, but when someone cheats, steals, lies, or abuses us, we scream foul! </span>So then, it's a moral world. We violate God's known moral standards and need His forgiveness and power to live better.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Can't true events, if accurately recorded, be just as true millenniums later as
when recorded?</b> The Gospels tell us essentials of Jesus' life and each one adds its own details and perspective that is verified in secular history. We don't have to know everything to know something. Ancient people knew nobody can walk on water, raise the dead, heal visible diseases unless God does it (John 3:2; 21:24, 25). <span style="color: blue;">For over three years, Jesus astonished His disciples, and hostile witnesses with hundreds of visible miracles that demonstrated His claims to be God were true. Talk about empirical tests!!</span></span></span></div>
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<b>Won't you say YES! to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ?</b> Christians don't live perfect lives. Nobody in the Bible did, but Jesus. It's<i> His righteousness</i> upon which we depend. His victory over sin is why He can save us sinners. We have victory over the world's system of evil, over Satan and his demons, and over our own sinful tendency as we focus on our Lord, trusting in His forgiveness, His love for us, His goodness, and power. We become God's people and all things become new as we keep surrendering our self-centered lives into His Almighty loving arms. Whatever your need, won't you say: <span style="color: blue;"><b>Lord, I trust You right now to save me the sinner, and to be my Lord and Guide throughout life. That's the best decision of your life.</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Now to grow in Christ get a Bible and really study it. I recommend for English readers, the "Life Application Study Bible". It's clear </span></b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>living</b> </span><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">translation and many helps are far superior to any other Bible I know. Read, link on to, & share these gospel articles on the www to win others to the Savior. Lord, help this brother or sister be faithful and abundantly fruitful. In Jesus name, amen. Praise God!</span></b><br />
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Bob Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319474473382300800noreply@blogger.com0